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THE SOIL, 

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Prof. J. W. D.-imon, Ph. D. 



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Entercfl accord huj to Act of Coitf/rcxs. 

in the year 1895^ 

hy Prof. J. W. Damon , Ph. D., 

in the office of the Lihrarian of Congrca.^. 

Wn.shinf/fon, D. C 



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( NOV 



SCIENCE AND ART OF FARMING, 



BY PROF. J. W. DAMON. 



Introductory. 



We have a few reasons for publishing the "Science and Art of Farm- 
ing." The greatest reason the author has for publishing the following 
work is the fact that his new discoveries and observations have been thor- 
oughly tested by the practical farmers of several western states and proved 
beyond all doubt that they are of such a nature that all classes of farmers 
can practice the scientific rules which will revolutionize farming in all 
parts of our country. 

My discoveries are of such simple character that all classes of farmers 
can practice some of the ideas if not all, on account of the fact that they do 
not involve the expenditure of very much money. Nearly all scientific re- 
commendations for the farm are so expensive that the poor farmer cannot 
aftord to put them into practice. I confess we have excellent treatises on 
x\griculture and Horticulture as far as theory alone is concerned, and a 
Horace Greeley, v/hen backed by thousands of dollars a year, can fuss and 
sink the same in theoretical experiments; but for all the Greeleys, and for 
all of our present instructions, we are compelled to confess that our coun- 
try is rapidly becoming worn out, and that as yet there has been no pro- 
vision made that will attract capital, restore the virgin soil, make it a 
pleasure and a pi-ofit, as well as practical, which will meet all the require- 
ments of the case. 



The followinji: pa^^os will lay out definite plans, reveal a definite art 
which will invite capital, keep the boys at home and show how to mak 
poor farms rich and rich farms richer. 

So perfectly itinerant are farmers of the laws of nature tliat they allov 
nearly all the best of elements to evaporate or float down stream. The 
author has given the science of farraincr careful study and practical re- 
search for over twenty years, therefore the reader will find here a record of 
observations and experiments which are the result of long years of pains- 
taking study and experiment. By careful observation the author has class- 
ified all vegetable growths into four comprehensive classes. 

The first class will be named Soil Creatoi^s. 

The second class will be named Soil Destroyers. 

The third class will be named Semi-Soil Creators. 

The fourth class will be named Semi-Soil Destroyers. 

All vegetable growth is continually adding to the alluvium soil or ex- 
tracting the elements f I'om the soil, therefore the Science and Art of Farm- 
ing is a definite and original work as far as the above four classified divis- 
ions of the vegetable kindom are concerned. 

In conclusion, if the farmers of this nation will buy .the following work 
and practice the instructions herein contained we will guarantee that farm- 
ing can be made profitable and farms often produce twice as much by fol- 
lowing the instruction herein given. 

There seems to be a rapidly growing disposition among the better 
class of progressive farmers to know more of the whys and wherefores of 
their calling. They want to know more about the nature of the soil which 
they cultivate and its adaptability to raise certain crops than ever before in 
the history of modern agriculture. It is this desire on the part of many 
an ambitious farmer which has stimulated the author to complete his ob- 
servations and experiments and publish the following work. The author's 
work has extended over a period of twenty years. During this time he 
has requested many a farmer to put to the severest test the principles of 
the "Science and \rt of Farming." The fact that the tests or experi- 
ments having iii every case proven that my new observations are of the 
greatest utility and can be practiced in all countries on the globe, has 
done much to hasten the preparation of this work. 

I insert one certificate or testimony from Dr. Cutler of Warreusburg, 
Mo., who has taken more pains to experiment for the author than any 
other person: 



Wakkensburg, Mo., Sept. 1, 1891. 

To Every Farmer of this Nation, Greeting: — 

I am personally acquainted with Prof. J. W. Damon, who has succeeded in 
reducing farming to a definite science. At my request several years ago he 



3 
called at my place and gave me a prescription for my farm which was then worn 
out by continual cropping. His single prescription has doubled the yince of my 
farm, has increased the corn crop 40 bushels per acre and doubled the yield of 
wheat . What he has done for me he can do for every fanner in this nation, for 
he has the education which divides all tree growth, all vegetable growth and all 
crop growth into two comprehensive classes. These classes are named Soil 
Destroyers, Soil Creators. He has the manuscript ready for a text book for 
the farm home. I give him and his forth coming book the highest praise and 
personal recommendation, S. P. Cutler. 



The hiy;hest ambition of my life is to be useful to my fellow man; tlu-re- 
fore the publieatioii of this book. Yours Earnestly, 

J. W. Damon. 



An Explanation 



SECTION I. 

1st, What this work does not contain — The present work will not 
contain much mor6 than fifty pages and for that reason all will understand 
that only a very few facts can be stated. The only reason why an exhaus- 
tive work on farming cannot be produced at j^resent is the question of 
money. 

Therefore this work does not contain many questions arising from the 
science of Botany which has to do with how plants grow. &c. 

Although the science of chemistiy will be used the work is not a special 
effort on agricultural chemistry. Although something will be said about 
winds and weather, rainfall, &c., the work is not a treatise on meteorology. 

The following pages will not contain a special effort to instruct the 
farmer on how to raise and care for the horse, the cow, the sheep, &c., for 
such works are numerous and many of them need but 'ittle improvement. 
Farm fencing, farm buildings, the employment of fiinii hands, &c., to- 
gether with thousands of ideas which the author has in mind and part in 
manuscript will not be published in this little work. The work will con- 
tain, for the most part, the origin of soil, the chemical composition of soil, 
how soil is exhausted and how it can be rapidly improved. 



Origin and Fornaation of Soils. 



SECTION II. 



2nd, All soils come originally from rocks. There was a time when the 
first mountain range lifted its mammoth head above the first primeval ocean. 



4 

There was a time when the j'ocks, the flowing lava of the same commenced 
to be decomposed by the chemical action of the elements of the atmosphere 
and water. This process continued to work rock into soil unto the present 
time; and will continue the process, until the end of time. All clay soils, 
all sandy soils and all gravelly soils came from rock stratums of the earth's 
crust. 



Changes of Temperature. 

3rd, All kinds of rocks are made up of crystals which differ from each 
other as much as the chemical elements in the same differ from each other. 
The heat from the internal fire and the tendency to ever cool from without 
furnishes the idea of temperature. Crystals not only contract and expand 
differently under the same tempei-ature but also under different tempera- 
tures. On this subject Prof. Kedzie says: "These crystals would not on- 
ly expand and contract unequally under the change of the temperature, 
but each crystal would expand or contract unequally in different directions, 
so that, in these changes they would tend to split off from each other, and 
into small fragments." 

"Water in the rocks frequently becomes a most powerful force. In 
fi'eezing water expands fully one fifteenth its bulk, and these forces of ex- 
pansion are so great that nothing known is strong enough to resist it. 
Hence along the base of cliffs and mountains, there are always found great 
piles of rock fragments, split off from the rocks above by the force of frost. 
In the same manner, this force acts upon the surface of the rock itself 
crumbling it into dust. If a piece of limestone, for example, be wet with 
water, and exposed to a hard frost over night, its surface will be found the 
next morning, upon examination, to be covered with a minute coating of 
miid^ from the particles split off by the frost. The heaving action of the 
frost in the winter and spinng still further crumbles the rock fragments of 
the soil." 



Moving Water. 



4th, "Water in motion is one of the most powerful forces known in 
converting rocks into soils. By the heat of the sun's rays, water from the 
ocean, from the smaller bodies of water, and from the earth itself, is con- 
verted into an invisible vapor, which rises into the upper regions of the 
air, where it floats and becomes visible as clouds. These upper regions are 
much cooler than the lower air, and, hence, these clouds are constantly de- 
positing their moisture in the form of rain and snow. Mountains by their 
effect on the currents of the air, act as condencers of vapor, and the water 
gathers rapidly upon them into rills and rivulets, these uniting form 



5 

mountain torrents, until finally wo have the great rivers flowing back to 
the seas. 

Through its whole course, this moving water exerts an immense wear- 
ing power upon the rock bed boncuth. At every point small particles of 
solid rock are worn away, the littl(> rills cutting their way almost imper- 
ceptibly, while the mountain torrents rush down with great power, tear- 
ing away great rocks in their coui\se. Every particle thus removed and 
those which fall into the current from the rocks above add to the wearing 
power of the water. 

The delta of the Mississippi covers over 12,000 square miles, and the 
amount of silt yearly carried down by this river would make a bed of soil 
one mile square and 2U8 feet deep. By the continual wearing away of the 
rocky uplands, and their conversion into fine earth, the continent is be- 
comuig slowly lowered in height, and its spreadout material is extending 
into the sea. . But the wearing action of water does not cease when it has 
reached the ocean. The ocean's waves, currents and tides are ever wearing 
away the rocks along the coast. This, of course, tends to straighten coast 
lines, by wearing away the headlands, and filling up the bays and inlets. 
Great oceanic currents, like the Gulf stream, doubtless accomplish much 
of this wearing action, although thoir effects can not be easily seen or un- 
derstood." 

We might speak at length of moving ice. and the many glacial periods: 
but space forbids. 



Weathering Aotion of Water 
and Air. 

5th, ""Air in Motion.'' — The air itself, by its mere force of motion 
and its cari-ying power, is a gi'eat agent in the reduction of rocks to soil. 



6th, Solution. — We have already studied the conversion of rocks in- 
to soil by the mechanical effects of water; that is the action of water in 
main. But water produces other eft'tvts of equal importance by its power of 
soinfion. Even pure water will dissolve many of the elements in small 
quantities; and its solvent power is greatly increased when I'ocks are re- 
duced to powder, as the amount of exposed surface is then much larger. 
But j>»re water is something unknown in nature. Water always contains 
other matters in solution by which its action upon the rocks is greatly in- 
creased. The most important of these matters contained in all natural 
waters is Carhonic Acid; it is obtained either fi'om the air or from the de- 
caying organic matter in the soil. 

Water will ordinarily absorb an amount of Carbonic acid equal to its 



own bulk; but under low temperatures and under great pressure, it will 
take up much more. Water when charged with Carbonic acid, is called 
Carbonated Wafer, and has a very marked solvent power upon many Min- 
erals, especially, on other carbonates, such as linestones, &c. Hence, the 
waters of all limestone regions are called hard, from the quantity of lime 
they contain. Carbonated water also acts upon other minerals much more 
powerfully than pure water. Its action is well shown in waters of miner- 
al wells which frequently come from great depth and contain a great va- 
riety of mineral matter in solution. We know that these matters are 
largely held dissolved by the Carbonic acid contained in the water, because, 
when it is allowed to stand for some time exposed to air, the free Carbonic 
acid escapes, and much of the mineral water settles to the bottom, as a 
thick sediment. 

Next in importance of the materials found in much natural water, and 
which greatly increases its destructive effects upon the rocks, are the 
alkalies — animonia, from the air, and potash and soda from certain minerals 
of the soil. 

Water which contains the slightest trace of these alkalies has even a 
stronger power of dissolving minerals than Carbonated water. Thus all 
natural waters are constantly exerting their destructive power upon all 
exposed rocks, rapidly hastening their conversion into soil. 

Though this solvent effect may, in any one case, seem to be very slight, 
yet when we remember the immense extent to which it has operated through 
numberless ages, we can easily understand the great results it has accom- 
plished. 

Water also operates upon some minerals in another manner, by uniting 
dii-ectly with them, and foi^mmg what are called hydrates. In their con- 
dition they are softer and more bulky, and hence, more easily reduced to 
soil. Many minerals are so composed that they are directly acted on, 
both by water and by the oxygen of the air, and are thus rapidly reduced 
to powder. 



Action of Plant Life. 

7th, Plant Life, Ever since its appearance up the earth, has exert 
ed a very important influence in the change of barren rocks into fertile soil. 

We may study this action of plants under two heads: 1st. The effects 
produced by living plants themselves. 2d. The action of decaying vege- 
table matter. 

8th, Effects of Living Plants. — "We may suppose that ever since 
their appearance upon the earth, plants have produced the same effects 
upon the earth's rocks, as we find them producing to day. This effect is 
nicely shown in the first growth of vegetation upon volcanic rocks. When 
lava flows in a melted condition down the side of a volcano, it cools into a 



7 
hard, barren, rock surface. For a long time, no plants can live upon it, 
except little microscopic plants, invisible to the naked eye, which receive 
Carbonic acid and ammonia directly from the air. After many years, the 
weathering action of the air will gather a very thin film of true soil on the 
hard surface of the lava, and slightly higher order of plants will begin to 
appear, mosses, &c., which, as they die, will increase by their remains the 
layer of soil. And so with such generation of plants, this change will pro- 
ceed, until finally, the sterile rock will become a bed of fruitful soil capa- 
l)le of supporting large tress and of growing farm crops. 

But in this process of soil forming, the plants have not acted simply 
by contributing their remains to the gathered soil, but with their tiny 
rootlets, they have attacked the solid rock itself, and assisted powerfully in 
its destruction. 

This action of living plants upon the rocks may be owing, first to the 
moisture which all growing vegetation gathers and holds beneath it, and 
which is a great aid in the formation of soil; and, .tccmid to the action of the 
roots themselves. These are well known to have the power of attacking 
the rock fragments, dissolving and removing minute portions. Slabs of 
limestone are frequently found under the soil, with their surfaces covered 
with a netwoi'k of minute grooves or channels, each being a bed of a root- 
let, which has eaten its way into the rock. 

Experiments have been made, by taking pieces of polished stone, such 
as marble, dolomite, &c., and placing them in vessels under sand, and 
sowing seeds of grain above. The rootlets of the growing plants were 
seen to descend and spread over the stone below; and the latter when ex- 
amined at the close of the season, were found with their surfaces softened 
and roughened, plainly reduced by the action of the rootlets. * * * * 
* * This ettectof living plants is, in many cases, probably owing to cer- 
tain organic acids which the roots contain, by means of which they are 
able to dissolve and remove a minute portion of the minerals- with which 
they come in contact. When these minerals are partly powdered, as in 
the soil the effects of the plants roots are, of course, greatly increased with 
the increased amount of surrace exposed. 

Though the matter, thus removed, may seem very small in the case of 
any one plant, yet if we consider the effect of the whole mass of plant 
growth which covers the earth, we see that living plants are a force of 
great importance in the conversion of rock into soil. 

9th, Action op Decaying Vecetable Matter. — ''The action of 
plants on the rocks does not cease with their life. When a plant dies, the 
process of decay begins, and, if exposed to the air for a sufficient time, 
nothing will be left but the ash or the mineral matter which it contains. 
But it is very rarely that plant decay takes place in this manner. The 
dead remains generally gather under the gi'owing plants in a slowly in- 
creasing layer, and thus shut off from the free supply of air, the decay 
goes on very slowly, until this mass of vegetable matter becomes a black 
or brown compound, called humus. 



The mold under forest trees, and sicamp muck, or prat, are good ex- 
amples of hnmus; but it exists in nearly every soil. This humus assists in 
the destruction of rocks, and the production of soil for the following rea- 
sons. 1st, Because, in its decaying state, it is constantly absorbing mois- 
ture, and keeping all bodies around it damp. 2d, Its slow decay is 
constantly pi'oducing Carbonic acid, which is absorbed by the water of the 
soil, and thus acts powerfully upon the rock fragments below. 3d, Certain 
organic acids are also produced in decay, which act upon the rocks even 
more rapidly than does Carbonic acid. 4th, Finally, with the complete de- 
eay of this humus, the mineral matter, which existed in the plants which 
formed it, is itself added to the earth from which it was taken." 

10th, "All these forces which we have now studied, have together con- 
verted the sterile rocks of the earth's crust into fruitful soil; and when we 
consider that they have been at work for almost countless ages through the 
various periods of the earth's history we see they are abundantly sufficient 
to account for the layer of soil, which everywhere covers the earth's rock 
strata. 

Nor is this process of soil forming yet completed. All of these forces 
are now in operation in diffei'ent states of activity, and fertile soil is con- 
tinually forming all around us. thus maintaining the earth's producing 
power.'' 

11th, Now we are ready to learn something definite from the above 
considerations of surface soil. 

A perfect soil adapted to grow ail kinds of crops contains the following 
mineral elements: Lime, phosphorus, sulphur in small quantities, salt in 
small quantities, sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron and silicon. Now 
if the reader can train his mind to think of soil as he thinks of the above 
compound then this definite conception will assist you to grasp other great 
truths which will soon be considered. 

Soil also contains two fertilizing elements, derived from the atmos- 
phere, namely. Carbonic acid and ammonia. 

Surface soil is always charged, at least several inches in depth, with 
the oxygen and nitrogen gasses of the atmosphere. Soil is charged with 
the gasses of water namely, oxygen and hydrogen. 

Surface soil is composed of at least nine minerals and six gasses. 

According to the above facts in reference to soil, the Nile valley of 
Egypt has a perfect surface soil. In north Africa rain falls abundantly on 
the several mountain ranges, thence it gathers into the several branches 
of the Nile, thence again, into the Nile proper; and in the great annual 
overflow, it fertilizes the whole valley, because it has brought down all of 
the nine minerals, in solution, and also in fine attenuated atoms, so that 
these several minerals are ready now to be taken up by the roots and root- 
lets of the farm crops. 

The elements from the air, from the water, and the nine minerals 
make, b}^ nature's own pi'ocess, a perfect soil in Egypt. We should be 
greatly interested in this lesson for wherever man can assist nature and 



9 
bring together the same number of elements he has a perfect surface soil. 
Undoubtedly the Nile valley has produced more of the great farm 
crops than any other valley on the surface of the earth. Organic chemis- 
try is the only science which can explain why this valley is so fertile. It 
must be on account of the fact that all the mineral elements necessary to 
grow a perfect crop are contained in its soil. Commit to memory the above 
facts then we are ready to classify surface soil and learn how to improve 
the same. 



Classification of Soils. 

SECTION IIT. 

12th. The Soils. — The action of the rain fall, and the action of the 
atmosphere, and also the action of water and moving ice, as already des- 
cribed, have placed many a compound of minerals on or near the surface of 
the earth which we call soil. 

When you examine soils of many sections you will find an infinite va- 
riety. 

Soils may be classified as clayey gravel, or gravelly clay, also as sandy 
clay or clayey sand; also as clayey loam or loamy clay, the soils ai'e also call- 
ed heavy, light, rich, poor, &c. 

This variety seems rather lenghty; but soils can for all of the above 
variety be classified. Soils may be known by their ioVmation, by their 
composition, by their physical properties and by theHMDQsition. 



First by their Formation. 

13th, Sedent.vrv Soils, — When rocks do not get moved away from 
where the laws of nature made them but do get decomposed into soils such 
soils are called sedentary. Nearly all the high hills of Kansas are com- 
posed of sedentai'y or stationary soils. 

14th, Transported Soils. — Says William K. Kedzie, "Transported 
soils are those which have been carried into a considerable distance from 
the rock layers from which they were formed. They are of three kinds, 
<h-ift. alluvial and colluvial soils."' 

15th, Drift Soils. — ''These have been formed by the actions of gla" 
ciers and were brought down during the glacial epoch." 

18th. Alluvial Soils. — "Are those which have been formed by the 
action of running water, generally over the valleys, or hotfoms of streams." 

17th. Colluvial Soils. — ''These may consist of either drift or allu- 
vial matter; but they alwaj's contain a quantity of sharj) angular i-ock frag- 
ments, showing either that they have not been transported far. or else, 
that thev are a mixture of sedentary soils with drift alluvium." 



10 

Soils May be Knovv^n by their 
Composition. 

''The great mass of soils may. from their composition, be divided into 
seven classes which from a scientitic point of view, are neither distinct nor 
clearly dePned; but which answer the purpose of a practical application." 

By this classification, then, wc have gravelly, sandy, clayey, loamy 
and calcareous soils, marl and peat. 

18th, Gravelly Soils: — "Are those containing an abundance of small 
stones or gravel. The value of a gravelly soil depends not only on the gen- 
eral size or coarseness of the pebbles, but also upon the nature of the mm- 
eral which composes them. A pure, coarse, quartz gravel would be almost 
utterly barren and useless. But when the gravel pebbles contain other 
minerals, such as feldspar or limestone, we may have produced a soil of 
great fertility." 

19th, "Sandy Soils: — A soil to be called sandy must consist of at 
least ninety per cent sand, and sandy soil may be rich or poor, according 
to the kind of mineral contained in the sand." 

20th, "Clayey Soils — are those consisting mostly of fine adhesive 
matter, generally clay. These soils are heavy and sticky when wet. Pure 
clays are poor soils. Their various colors, yellow, red, brown, etc., are 
owing to the oxide of iron which they contain. Many soils are called clay- 
ey which contain no clay at all." 

21st, "Loamy Soils embrace all grades of soil between clay and sand. 
Loams makes the greater portion of our more valuable farming lands." 

22nd, Calcareous or Lime Sori.s — "Are those of which the carbonate 
of lime forms a large proportion. They are known from the fact that 
when any acid, such as vinegar is poured over them, they bubble violently 
from the escape of cai'bonic acid gas. Many Kansas soils contain enough 
lime to be properly called calcareous soils. When mixed with other mater- 
ials, these soils are called calcareous sands, clays, or loams, according to 
the nature of the material." 

23rd, Marls are mixtures, in about equal parts of finely divided claj' 
and carbonate of lime. Slxll marl is nearly pure carbonate of lime. 

24th, Peat is partially decayed vegetable matter, produced by the 
slow decay of plants under water. 



Soils are Classified by their 
Physical Properties. 

Again soils may be divided into heiny and Ufjht soils; but, as these 
words are not here used in their ordinary sense, this division requires 



11 

some explanation. By heavy soils are meant, not those which have weight, 
but those which are so compacted in their structure that they strongly 
resist the movement of the plow through them, and hence are hard and 
heavy to cultivate. And on the other hand, by light soils are meant those 
which are so light and porous in their texture that they can be lightly and 
easily cultivated. 

Soils are Known by their 
Position. 

25th, Surface Soil: — "By the surface soil is meant that portion ordi- 
narily stirred by the plow, and penetrated by the rain and roots of crops." 

26th, Sub Soil: — "By the sub soil is meant that soil layer immediate- 
ly beneath the surface or active soil." 

27th, Hard Pan: — "This is the hard compact layer wholly beneath 
the subsoil." In the condition of hardpan, the soil is really returning 
to the condition of I'ock. 



The Farnn Soils of Kansas. 

SECTION IV. 

28th, Saj'S the above author, Professor Kedzie, "The general surface 
of Kansas is a rolling prairie; but it is an undoubted fact that the prairie 
surface is slowly decreasing, while the timbered areas are slowly increas- 
ing in extent. Th3 farm soils of Kansas, while in many respects similar to 
those of the surrounding states, yet present some distinct and peculiar 
features. The soil of this region was probably, in part at least, of drift 
origin, but this has since been very greatly changed in its character by the 
action of water, so that little of its true drift nature remains. As we have 
already learned, the bowlders or hardheads of the glacial drift are only 
found in comparatively small numbers, scattei'ed over the northeastern 
part of the state." 

29th, Bluff Soil: — The soil of the bluff formation occupies the east- 
ern portion of the state along the Missouri river, and is very marked and 
peculiar in its nature. It is the early accumulation of the Missouri river. 

30th, Low Bottom: — "We have in Kansas many rivers and consider- 
able low bottom lands, which are very rich, and in some cases many feet 
deep. When these are protected horn overflow they will form some of the 
richest farms in the state. This soil has all the mineral matter necessary 
for the growth of a crop, and is also rich in organic matter. This soil has 
the capacity to resist the injurious (>ffects of drought." 

81st. Second Bottom: — "The soil of this class include the large areas 
of farming lands extending along the next terrace above the low bottoms. 
They were formed in the same manner as the latter, but at an earlier 



12 
pei'iod, when the rivers covered a much broader and deeper bed than at 
present. The second bottom soils malce up the greater part of the best 
farm lands of our state." 

32d, High Prairie: — This class of soils includes the high rolling up- 
lands of our state covering much of its central and western portions. 
These soils are the result of the decomposition of the rocks whei'e each va- 
riety of soil is found. Nearly all high prairie soil is of local origin. 

These soils have their origin in the reduction of the rocks of carbonifer- 
ous and cretaceous formation of the state. Generally it will be found, in 
any locality, that the upland soil has, as the basis of its composition, the 
same materials as the rock strata of the neighborhood. The comparison of 
these local soils with the rock strata from which they have been derived, 
will always be found a very interesting study. 

33d, Special Characteristics of Kansas Soils: — The soils of Kan- 
sas, in general, are well known as among the most fertile and productive 
in the United States, and are specially remarkable for two reasons: 

1st. Their power to resist drought. 

2d. Their great fertility under continued and exhausti^ve cropping. 



Relations of Soils to Crops. 

SECTION. V. 

34th, The common farmer knows but little about the relation of the 
soil and subsoil to the growing crops. 

All crops get their mineral matters from the surface soil and from the 
subsoil. 

If the farmer knew how many minerals were contained in his growing 

crops he would know that they were in the soil if his crop grew well from 

year to year. 

To illustrate this fact. If a farmer has grown wheat on the same piece 

of land, say, for ten years and has had a good average crop he can conclude 

that this soil is rich in whatever mineral matter is required to grow a crop. 

The following are the definite agricultural minerals in all farm crops 
the world over. 

1. Calcium, the metallic base of Lime. 7. Phospate of Magnesia. 
■2. Carbonate of Lime. 8. Chloride of Sodium. 

3. Phosphate of Lime. 9. Sulphate of Soda. 

4. Fluoride of Calcium. 10. Carbonate of Soda, 
o. Phosphate of Soda. 11. Peroxide of Iron. 
(?. Phosphate of Potash. l2. Silica, or Sand. 

All of the above twelve minerul compounds may be comprehended in 
the following condensed statement. 1st. The Carbonates, or Lime ele- 
ments. 2d. The Phosphates. 3d. The Sulphates. 4th. The Alkalies, 
potash, soda. 5th. Magnesia Uth. Iron. 7th. Silica. 8th. Traces of 
Sulphur. 



13 

The most condensed statement of the agricultural minerals includes the 
above eight minerals. The most extended statement includes the above 
twelve minerals. 

The above minerals are soil in fact,, for they pass from the soil to the 
comiDosition of plants. A growing crop of wheat feasts upon all of the 
above minerals. 

There are two more valuable elements in the surface soil which are 
placed there by the decomposition of vegetable matter, namely Carbonic 
acid gas, and ammonia. 

The latter gas, ammonia, is liansformed into the nitrates of potash 
and soda. 

The most comprehensive conception of surface soils takes in also, the 
gases of the atmosphere, oxygen and nitrogen, also the gases of water, 
oxygen and hj'drogen. 

Soil when charged with six gases and twelve minerals gives as a re- 
sult eighteen essential elements or a perfect surface soil. 

Soil then is composed of the following elements: 

1. Oxygon from air. 9. Phosphate of Ijime. 

2. Nitrogen. 10. Fluoride of Calcium. 

3. Carbouic acid, unites with Liuic 11. Phospate of Soda. 

in the Soil. 12. Phosphate of Potash. 
•4. Ammonia, unites with Potash 13. Phosphate of Magnesia, 

and Soda in the S<.il. 14. Chloride of Sodium. 

5. Hydrogen. 15. Sulphate of Soda. 

6. Oxygen from water. 16. Carbonate of Soda. 

7. Calcium ot Lime. 17. Peroxide of Iron. 

8. Carbonate of Lime. 18. Silica or Sand. 

The most perfect expresssion of the above elements are to be found in 
Egypt, or in the silt of the Nile vaUey. 

The rain falls upon the mountains and water brmgs down all the above 
combinations of minerals. Therefore the Nile valley is and always will be 
perfect. 

Now if all valley soils wei-e ix-rfect all a farmer would have to learn 
would be all other branches of agricultural science and let the soil take 
cai-e of itself. But all valleys and all lands are not so rich in all the above 
matters, therefore the soil will form a very interesting study in its rela- 
tion to gi'owing crops. 

The relation of soil to crops, is ihe relation of supply to the demand. 
The crops when growing demand all the above elements and the soil when 
perfect yields them up to the powers of organic growth. 

35th. Soils may be considered fertile when in any climate they will 
])i'oduce a full crop. 

Soils ai-e not fertile in Kansa- when th^y will not grow fi-om year to 
year a full or average crop. 

Soils are fertile in Kansas if a full crop of cereals can be grown upon 
them, for all of the cereals require a perfect soil or nearly p(M'fect for their 
growth. 



14 

Ci'ops can be lai'gely increased by increasing the gases which all crops 
least upon which are Carbonic acid gas, and ammonia. In fact there are 
classes of trees and plants which live dii'ect upon Carbonic acid, and am- 
monia from the atmosphere and add these gases ^to the soil where such 
crops are plowed under. We are now ready to study the subject of soil ex- 
haustion. 



S!iX"'l'[0.\ VI. 

8()th, Worn-out Soils. — Says Prof. Kedzie on this subject; •R is 
well known that when a heavy cro]) is grown for years in succession upon a 
piece of land, without the use of fertilizers, the yield will each year become 
less and less, until finally it will li(> so small as hardly to return to the 
farmer the seed itself. 

Such experience is not unconiiuon where corn and wheat are grown Jor 
u period of years without fertilizers. Other crops which are more exhaust- 
ing in their effect upon the soil, produce these results more completely 
even than the grain crops.'" 

Tobacco and cotton are great soil destroyi^rs. There are thousands of 
acres in the sovith which have been worn out and thrown out on account of 
continued cropping and the con-esponding lack of fertility. 

"If we would seek an explanation of these effects, it is plain that we 
must look for them in the plant food taken from the soil. This we know 
to be of two kinds, first the mineral food, or what we call the plants r«7/, 
second, its nitrogenous and carboniferous plant food, furnished largely by 
the decaying organic matter of the soil. Of these two classes of plant food, 
the latter is more rapidly exhavistc^d by the continuous growth of the same 
crop, but the plant's mineral food is. also exhausted by it. 

These facts are well shown in an estimate made by Prof. John.son. up- 
on the hay crop, as follows: "'A hay crop probably carries off more miner- 
al matter than any other known, thus one crop of hay, of two and one half 
tons, will vemove 400 pounds of mineral matter from each acre of the 
soil. When we compare this with the whole weight of the soil, about 4,000.- 
000 pounds to the acre, to the depth of twelve inches, the quantity seems 
very small. But when .vc 1 1 m'lM't'r, that out of one hundred parts of the 
soil, not more than one pari gi\ cs food directly to the jilant we see that 
the number of hay crops which a soil can produce is by no means unlimited. 

The same might be shown of the other staple crops of the farm. We 
(•a!i, therefore, readily understand, how. I)y continued cropping for long 
[)eriod of years, without thci return ot>any equivalent in the form of ferti- 
lizers, we may easily reduce^ the pi'oducing ])ovv(^i- of our farms to a vei'y 
low point. " 

:)7th, Theoretical Exh.-vustiox., — "Taking these well known facts 
as a basis, many writers have attempted to ]jrove, that a system of farming 
which does not return to the soil, in tlieform of fertilizers, whatever is taken 



15 

from it in the. form of crops, would tinally produce such an exhaustion of 
the soil that it would sustain no [)lant growth whatever. But such abso- 
lute exhaustion is impossible, and exists onl}^ in the imagination. A soil, 
once fertile, could never be reduced to utter barrenness simply by cropping. 

o8th. Practical Exhaustion. —While complete exhaustion of the 
soil, so that it will sustain no plant life, is impossible, yet it is very easy to 
bring about a practical exhaustion, by careless culture. This is the ease 
when the cost of cropping is greater than the value of the crop grown. 
Hence no soil can be called productive which does not produce a crop whose 
value is more than suliicient to cover the time, labor, and money consumed 
in raising it. When3ver the value of the crop is too small to cover this ex- 
pense, the soil is practically exhausted, and further cultivation of it is un- 
profitable." 

From this it will be seen that soils can be exhausted. I have .spent 
much money and time in the study of soil exhaustion, and I find that all 
soils in all climates as a rule can easily be restored to its first fertility by 
the proper rotation of crops. Soils become exhausted when the farm crops 
(;annot get available plant food. Plant food is consumed rapidly by all 
crops which depend upon the gaseous elements in the soil instead of taking 
them from the atmosphere. A farm might be exliausted for the growth of 
cereals, and at the same time lie tli ■ f'M-ti''> home of the clover, and all le- 
guminous plants. 

I have observed that there are i wo ciusses or crops on all fai'ms in all 
parts of the world. 

The first class I shall call Soil Dcstroi/a-.s. The second class I shall call 
Soil Creators. Now all soil destroyers ha\c and always will be destruc- 
tive of all available mineral matter and especially of the carbonates and 
nitrates of the surface soil. 

3SHh, First Class Farming. In the next chapter the author will treat of 
the nature of those plants which d.'stroy surface soil and will also treat of 
the nature of those plants or crops which produce surface soil. Therefore 
we desire all students of the "Science and Art of Farming" to learn the 
nature of the above two great divisions of plant growth, and plant his 
farm with soil creators, and jjlow them under, then follow the next year 
by planting a soil destroyer, such as any of the cereals, and destroy from 
the soils what the previous crop has made available. It is not only true 
that every crop on all farms and in all countries are either soil creators or 
soil destroyers, but it is also true that all weeds are actually gathering 
elements which benefit the soil, or they are engaged in extracting the 
vegetable gases already accumulated. . Therfore all weeds as well as all 
farm crops are soil producers or soil destroyers. We need only to know 
these-general facts, then we can improve our famns as fast as we can plow 
soil creators under. 

It is also true that every tree which grows in all this broad world is 
(uther a surface soil producer or a surface soil d(\stroyer. , As we have 
passed over the on'yin. the comiiosition and the exhaustion of surface soil, 
we now invite out readers to the next and the most intei'esting observa- 
tions in reference to the imi)rovemcnt of our farms. 



16 
The author guarantees that if farmers will follow the instructions in 
the following sections, farms can be kept in first class conditions. 



How to Improve the Surface Soil. 
Surface Soil Producers or Creators. 
Leguminous or Pod-Bearing Plants. 

SECTION Yll. 

4()th, Alfalfa — is the greatest soil producer which has come under my 
observation. I have never found out how long it will live in its native 
home. It has been known to grow down into the subsoil to the depth of 30 feet. 

Alfalfa has the power to not only go down among the various subsoils 
and clays to a great depth but it has the jiower to throw out the acids and 
transform inorganic soil to organic soil. It has the power also to gather 
the Carbonic acid, and ammonia from the atmosphere. Therefore Alfalfa is 
a perfect surface soil producer. 

Alfalfa should always be planted in a warm and a friable soil, above a 
sandy or gravelly subsoil. The farmer can safely plant Alfalfa on all bot- 
tom lands which resist the long Kansas drought. It flourishes on subsoil 
moisture, even better than when irrigated . 

There are thousands of acres in Kansas and other states where there 
is not only a gravtjUy subsoil but a plenty of water within K! to 20 feet 
from the sui'face. I advise the farmers to examine the soil and subsoil 
thoroughly before planting this ei^op, then if all the conditions of success 
are present, make the trial effort of a few acres. Be sure and leave this 
crop on the ground several years. Then break the ground up deeply and 
plant potatoes and all root growing crops, then follow with corn or small 
grain. 

The result will be that you can gathei" more than twice as much of all 
crops by the means of this clover soil. 

For full and particular instruction on this valuable plant I refer you 
to "Report of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, for the nionth of 
November, 1894.' Address F. D. Coburn. Sec, Topeka, Kansas. 

CHKMrOAL ANAf.VSIS OV ALF,VLK,A IN 100 PARTS. 
1. Water, ------ 74.(11) G. Lime, ------- .85 

•2. Nitrogen, ------ .72 7. Magnesia, .0') 

:3. Ashes, ------ l.<»2 8. Phosphoric Acid, - - - .IG 

4. Potash, ------- .45 9. Sulphur, - - - - - - .11 

5. Soda, .--:--- .();} -lO Silica, -.--.- .18 

U. Chh.riue, ----- .OG. 



17 

If the farmer purchased the above minerals in as great a quantity as 
the Alfalfa leaves them in every acre it will cost at least one hundred and 
fifty dollars per acre, at present prices. Alfalfa benefits the soil at that 
rate every five years. 

41st, Red Clover:— This plant has fertilized more acres of land, 
probably, than any other. , The leading farmers of all nations have utilized 
this plant more or less for the purpose of improving the soil. It is here 
classified as a perfect sui-faee soil producer, for it, like the Alfalfa, gathers 
carbonic acid and ammonia from the atmosphere, and it gathers eight 
minerals from the sub-soils. I liave observed the fact that it will grow 
from eight to sixteen feet deep in the sub-soil. Red Clover has the 
power to throw out acids from its i-oots and decompose rocks. Therefore 
when red clover is grown and the crop plowed under there is a gain of both 
mineral and gaseous matter, amounting to enough to supply the soil with 
enough fertility for four or five cereals crops. 

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF RED CLOVER PLANTS IN 100 PARTS. 

1. Water, - - - - 80.00 6. Lime, - - - - .48 

2. Nitrogen, - - - AS 7. Magnesia, - - - .15 

3. Ashes, - - - - 1.37 8. Phosphoric Acid, - - .13 

4. Potash, - - - - .44 9. Sulphur, - - - .04 
7i. Soda, - - - - ,03 10. Silica, - - - - .04 

11. Chlorine, ... - .05. 

Red clover will grow two years, it is therefore a biennial plant. When 
you plant it for a fertilizer it should be plowed undel" the second season at 
the end of the growth of the second crop. Red clocer will not grow in a 
rich barn vard, but finds its home in all worn out land where the agricul- 
tural minerals are abundant. 

About nine years ago Dr. Cutler requested me to call at his home at 
Warrensburg, Mo., and prescribe a i-emedy for a part of his farm which was 
badly worn out. I saw at a glance when I arrived on the poor land that it 
was the home of the red clover. I advised the planting and the utilizing 
this plant for the purpose of producing perfect soil. The doctor has ac- 
complished wonders with red clover for his farm, and all other farms in 
that section of Missouri can be impi-oved by this plant. 

There are several theories about how the pod-growing plants get the 
gases from the atmosphere, which will not be discussed here, for all the 
faimier wants to know is the fact that red clover will produce when pro 
perly handled, a perfect surface soil. Do not let your clover beds remain 
more than two years, for all plants die at the second year, and if the 
ground is not charged with seed your clover meadow fails. But remember 
that you should as a rule plant clove r for its fertilizing value, and get this 
value out of the soil as quickly as possible, for in this way only would you be 
reducing farming to a definite science. To enable the farmer to build up 
soil, then to destroy it again, and get the value in grain or animals, where 
at any time he can change either foi- money is the object to be accomplish- 



18 
ed. Nitrogen at once, being the most costly element, among all elements, 
which go to make up soil and at the same time the element to disappear 
first from the soil, therefore if clover will gather it from the atmosphere it 
should be planted and utilized wherever it can be grown. 

4r2d, The Castor Bean: — This plant, like the clovers, is a soil pro- 
ducer. In its native home near the equator it will grow sevei'al years and ■ 
become quite a tree before it dies. 

Castor beans are grown in Kansas as a regular farm crop, therefore the 
soil can be imjoroved by them and not miss a crop. The best plan is to 
plant only one fourth of your plowed ground into castor beans, then an- 
other fourth until your farm has been covered. If you have a farm where 
clover will not flourish, then fertilize with castors. 

I have no space here to tell how to plant and cultivate, for this work is 
not for that purpose. It is an easy matter to learn how to plant and raise 
a crop. It is hard to learn how to make your farms grow rich and richer 
every year, and not pay out any extra money and not miss a crop. To 
teach the farmer how to double the productive power of his fai-m is the 
mission of this work. Therefore if any Kansas farmer has several children 
large enough to gather castor beans, and are not old enough to follow the 
plow, he should put out just enough castors to keep the children busy dur- 
ing the harvest season. It is not only a fact that the castor bean gathers 
up the eight sub-soil minerals and also gathers carbon and ammonia from 
the atmosphere, and is a help to the soil because it does this perfect work, 
but if it is plowed under befoi'e the frost kills the leaves it will be valuable 
as a fertilizer during the whole time it is decomposing in the soil, for it 
continues to employ the same gases, carbonic acid and ammonia from the 
atmosphere, by the process of decomposition, until the last cell is trans- 
formed into soil. I desire all to plow soil producing plants under while in 
a green state, for by so doing you take advantage of one more element, that 
element is iron. The green color of all plants is owing to this element. 

Iron has the strongest affinity for oxygen, carbonic acid and ammonia 
of all the agricultural minerals. When a green crop is frost bitten the iron 
immediately rusts or turns to peroxide of iron. When the iron is plowed 
under in an organic and liquid condition, the elements of the air have to 
pass down through the earth where the iron unites with oxygen and forms 
new compounds, and is made ready to go again into the living crop. The 
ground by this process is finely pulverised. All the farmers who have 
plowed under green crops can remember how mellow the soil gets. Now 
it is the iron in a green state which helps to pulverise the soil. In fact this 
agent is of more worth than the farmer can imagine, for no amount of har- 
rowing can do the work of the silent elements of natui^e. In fact farming 
is the greatest science on earth and no one but the learned chemist can 
take all of the advantages of the definite elements of the natural economy 
and use them to the greatest advantage. But all fai-mers when they read 
the instructions in this woi'k can practice, and, in fact, secure to themselves 
the benefits, as much as the wisest chemist. I have assisted several farm- 



19 

ers in doubling their cereal crops by planting them according to my advice 
after castor beans 

Several mortgages have disappeared by means of this practice. Farm- 
ers who do not want to gather the beans can sow them broadcast and plow 
under when the plant has its growth. This would give a chance to plow early 
in the fall. Twenty acres plowed under this way, the first year, can be 
cultivated the next year in corn and will bring more than enough corn to 
pay for the experiment. I mean by this that the corn crop will be more 
than two crops otherwise would amount to. When a farm is all improved 
this way a second "experiment brings astonishing results. 

■43d, All Kinds op Peas are soil producers. To improve soil rapid- 
ly where clover will not grow, perhaps stock pcaa are the best. Farmers 
can plant an acre each year for seed and thresh them when they thresh 
other grain and after one year always have on hand an abundance of seed. 
Then a part of the ground can be devoted to the improvement process by 
means of the pea crop. This crop should be planted soon after you plant 
corn, planting about two and one half bushels per acre, then plow under 
just before the seed ripens. This crop gets carbonic acid gas and ammon- 
ia from the atmosphere, and also has the power, not only to go down from 
G to 10 feet in the sub-soil, but has the power to throw out the acids and 
decompose rock material. 

The whole southern country can be improved by this one plan. There 
are hundi-eds of thousands of acres in the south which can be made first class 
fertile soil by the use of the stock pea. Cotton and tobacco are soil des- 
troyers and rapidly destroy the available plant food of the soil. The stock 
pea by being plowed under at the proper time aot only restores soil, but 
under the best of circumstances brings together all the essential elements 
for a perfect alluvial soil. This single prescription if carried into practic 
would double the productive power of all upland farms of the south which 
are in a state of practical exhaustion of plant food. 

44th, Buck Whe.\t: — This plant, while not endowed with all the 
powers of the clover plant, nevertheless has some very excellent qualities 
which enable it to improve the soil, when properly managed. A great 
many farmers will plant a crop of buck icheat and reap the crop and then 
complain that the crop is hard on the land. But to get the best results 
buck wheat should be plowed under when the seeds are in a soft state. 
Farmers who keep bees in this western country would do well to improve 
their land by plowing this crop under for this reason while it is maturing 
a ci'op, it would furnish a supply of nectar for the bees. 

Buck wheat has more carbon, in the form of starch in it than any 
other cereal and it gets this element as well as its nitrogenous element 
from the atmosphere, therefore when plowed under it is a great benefit to 
the soil, not only, because of its accumulated carbon and nitrogen but be- 
cause, while in the process of decomposing, the carbonic acid and ammon- 
ia from the atmosphere are continually being added to the soil. The 
above facts taken into consideration prepare one to use buck wheat free- 



20 

ly as a soil producer. I know several farmers in the state of Missouri who 
have improved their farm Avith buci\' wheat and fed their bees at the same 
time. 

45th, The Sunflower: — From the fact that this plant, as well as 
clover, the peas and castor beans, gathers carbonic acid and ammonia 
from the atmosphere and on account of this fact it can be utilized for a soil 
producer. But the sunflower would have to be plowed under when it is 
but half grown, because when grown it is too tall and the stalks too stub- 
born to be handled by the plow. 

There is one reason why the suntiower is not so useflil as the other va- 
rieties mentioned for the purpose of improving the soil, and that is the 
fact that it extracts so much soda from the soil that if the cx'op is removed 
instead of being plowed under there is a great loss of this element to the 
soil. But the plant can be grown and plowed under when it gets about 
four feet high with the best of results. 

4Gth, Plowing Under Green Crops: — All green ci'ops improve the 
ground when plowed under. Many farmers burn up all the vegetable mat- 
ter from their fields, and in this way lose the very gases needed for the 
growing crops. Many times farmers neglect to plow under crops of weeds 
while they are in a green state. The benefit of plowing under a crop of 
weeds in the fall instead of burning off the same the next spring can hardly 
be estimated unless we know what crop is to follow. If a good crop of I'ag- 
weeds are plowed under in September, and plowed under deeply, and the 
ground planted to corn in the spring probably the yield of corn will be in- 
creased at least one fourth. In all the western slates where wheat grows 
well it would pay the farmers to raise rye and have plenty of seed on hand 
at all times, the seed could be scattered broadcast over all the corn fields 
of the west, whith will not be plowed until spring, then plow under just be- 
fore the planting of spring crops, it would quickly decompose, durmg the 
earl}' summer, and furnish an abundant supply of organic matter to the 
growing crop. All clayey farms can be kept up in this way, for rye seems 
to be adapted to extract the mineral matter from clayey soils. 

This rye pasture which this plant would alTord would be good all win- 
ter for all kinds of stock, and especially for the milch cows, and at the 
same time can be plowed under in a green state and makes a good substi- 
tute for clover. Remember that when one crop dies and returns to soil it 
prepares food for the life of another, for the same elements which assist in 
decomposing one crop are also the same elements which assist and enter 
into the life of another crop. 

47th, The Walnut Tree as a Soil Producer. — I was told when a 
boy to observe that a walnut tree always grows on good ground, and that it 
would not grow on bad land. I was advised never to buy a farm unless 
walnuts were growing upon it. The walnut was considered a test whether 
a farm was good or bad. Its presence was considered as evidence that the 
farm was rich in soil qualities. Its absence was considered as evidence 
that the soil was not so good. The above advice could not be farther from 



21 

the truth and facts in the case, for thewahiut tree is a perfect soil creator, 
it gathers its gases, carbonic acid and ammonia from the atmosphere, and 
also gathers its eight minerals from the sub-soil. It does not run its roots 
where the farmer runs his plow, but runs them down deeply into the earth. 
It spreads its roots from the central root only enough to brace the tree 
well against storms. 

The mission of the I'oot seems to be one continual search after mineral 
matter. The roots ask for no alluvial soil whatever, for they arc endowed 
with power to throw out a combination of acids which transforms geologi- 
cal rock into the organic ash for vegetable growth. 

The walnut tree gathers all the elements from the atmosphere and all 
the minei'als from the sub-soil which compells me to name it as a first class 
soil creator. 

It brings together fourteen different combinations of soil. It is, as a 
soil producer, what it does. No wonder the farmer frequently thinks that 
the walnut grows on good ground, for a walnut could not remain long on 
any land without making it very rich in all the elements of a perfect soil. 
Several years ago, in northwest Missouri, I was walking along a high bluff! 
I observed a hugt^ walnut tree which in growing had displaced two large 
limestone rocks. One rock wus lying yet against the roots of this particular 
tree, the other one had been tilted down the bluff by the growth of the same 
tree. 

I commenced from that hour to study the relation of the walnut tree to 
the creation of surface soil. I went back and read the history of this one 
tree. I estimated how old it was. also tried to form some estimate of its 
yearly value as a soil producer. This particular tree instead of growing, 
as some farmers think only in good ground, had grown up and flourished 
between two limestone rocks. 

I observed also how quickly the stems and leaves of this tree return 
to the soil. This tree should be planted as a border tree all around your 
farms. This tree if it was growing all around the farms of the United 
States, would pi'oduce enough leaves and fruit to fertilize the surface of 
our whole country. Every farmer in the west should immediately prepare 
one acre of ground and plant a walnut grove on the same. The best way 
to do this is as follows: "Prepare ground just as you would if you were 
going to plant wheat. Mark out as for corn in rows both ways. Then 
take a large pointed iron and make holes about four inches deep and place 
one walnut with hull on in each hole. It will take about 4,800 nuts for one 
acre. When that acre is in a walnut grove one year old, it is worth one 
hundred dollars at the least calculation. 

The grove can be thinned out three times and then leave a huge forest 
of walnut trees sixteen f(>et apart both ways. The value in lumber finally 
can be only estimated when placed on the mai'ket. But it is not only true 
that the farmer's boy who plants a walnut tree is doing something to grow 
good lumber, but this tree while growing helps to purify the atmosphere. 
Bv gathering in carbonic acid and ammonia, it enriches the soil wherever 



22 

its foliage is decomposed. In conclusion as most men plant trees why not 
plant a walnut tree and do something for the future generations, if not for 
yourself. Therefore plant the walnut at least all around your farm and 
trim it high, for when trimmed high it will let in under it light, air and 
moistm'e, or all the conditions and elements of plant growth and the farm- 
er can raise a good crop even under the tree. Therefore I repeat plant the 
walnut, for a surface soil producer, for lumber and for an atmospheric 
purifier. 

48th, The Butternut — behaves above ground as a soil producer of 
the first class, but its roots diflfer fi'om the walnut, for they draw much of 
the vegetable gases from the surface of the soil. Therefore it belongs to 
the thii'd class of trees and plants in this work and will be classified as a 
semi-soil creator. 

By taking the walnut tree as a criterion all the readei's of this pam- 
phlet can study all trees which behave as this tree does. Whenever you 
find a tree which does in all cases what this walnut does class it as a soil 
creator. Whenever you find a tree which grows and behaves as the but- 
ternut classify it as a semi-soil creator. 

When we come to treat of trees which destroy soil we will call at- 
tention to many which will be classed as soil destroyers. We desire to dis- 
cuss thoroughly the question of how to improve the soil, for mo.st any one 
can destroy it when it has been well improved. 

49th, Fallowing for Soil Improvement. — The practice of fallowing 
ground all through Roman and English history can now be explained on 
scientific principles. The explanation is this, that plowing land loosens it 
up and makes it capable of letting in the air, accounts for the reason why 
fallowing is good for the land. If any farmer will set one acre aside and 
plow it say four times duinng the season, and plow a little deeper every 
time, he can then plant a corn crop and estimate how much value this plan 
is worth as a process of soil production. 

50th, An Experievce op an Ohio Farmer. — A farmer in Ohio once 
left out a field and did not work it for a term of years because its fertility 
was practically exhausted. During the time it was in this condition, a 
windstorm came and blew off from his barn the double door, and carried 
it out into the above described field. The door happened to alight on a 
very poor part of this field, and laid there several years, but finally the 
Ohio farmer concluded the field ought again to be cultivated. So he plow- 
ed it one fall and planted it to corn the next spring. This faimier observed 
that the ground where the barn door lay was very rich, so he planted 
just as many hills as this square of land would contain and in the fall this 
barn door plat had yielded corn at the rate of 80 bushels per acre while 
the balance had hardly yielded 25 bushels per acre. Now the farmer was 
puzzled to know how so much fertility could come from a barn door. He 
reasoned that it did not come from the door itself for he burned a part of 
it in another place in the field. He finally concluded that it was shad- 
ing the ground th^t made it so rich. He did not reason that shade is a 



23 

condition and not an element. He did howevei' become so elated over 
shade as an element of fertility that he published a book of 50 pages illus- 
trating his argument. This sold rapidly for a while and finally was the 
cause of the farmers holding, in that section a county convention for the 
purpose of discussing the merits of the book. To my surprise one of the 
learned professors of the State University endorsed the idea that shade 
was an element of fertility and made a lengthy speech on the subject. He 
explained that this idea of shade was why clover was so beneficial to the 
soil. He explained that it was shade that made old fence rows so rich in 
soil elements. The farmer was not only mistaken as well as the professor, 
but it furnished an illustration that no fai'mer or no professor has yet 
reduced farming to a definite science. While neither the farmer nor the 
professor could tell how the soil was made rich by a barn door, neverthe- 
less the fact remained to be explained b_v some one who knew that shade 
was a condition and not an element. 

Now for an explanation which will be final and also an addition to the 
natural sciences. This particular soil had all the mineral matter necessary 
for a corn crop, but it did not have the elements of carbon and nitrogen. 
The barn door retained moisture under it at all times, therefore the car- 
bonic acid from the atmosphere, at all times in spring and summer and 
early fall, at all times, except when the ground was frozen, was continual- 
ly uniting with the elements of water and the mineral matter of the soil 
and in this way the soil was built up as far as carbonic acid, water, the 
carbonate of lime and phosphate of lime could build up soil. Now there is 
another explanation of how the nitrate of potassa and the nitrate of soda 
was formed in the soil, under this barn door The only scientific explan- 
ation is this, that under all similar conditions a chemical microbe is pro- 
duced which eats ammonia and transforms the same into the forms of ni- 
trate of potash and soda. 

Remember then the fact that whenever ground is shaded by a board, 
a side walk, a log, a fence row or mulched with straw, hay or leaves the 
same chemical process is gomg on. Under all these conditions nature's 
first effort is exerted in producing surface soil. If the clay or worn out 
soil put in any of the above conditions has in its composition all of the 
agricultural minerals, then a perfovt alluvial deposit of all the combinations 
are made. This barn door then simply assisted nature or furnished nature 
with conditions which enabled her to do for the soil what i.s done by the 
clover plant or any of the soil creators. 

The soil under the door chemically speaking would be identical with 
clover soil. This is the place to speak more fully of this chemical microbe 
or nitrogen microbe. It has been ol)served that this little animal is always 
present where clover is growing. It has been thought that the nitrates 
found in the clover plant as well as in the soil is owing to his presence. I 
do believe that much of the nitrates of the soil in clover fields is owing to 
his presence, but I do not believe the clover plant has to depend upon him 
for its supply of that element. This chemical microbe is always present 



24 

where bai'ii yard manure is spread; in fact it is necessary for him to be 
there, for all the ammonia would escape into the air if he was not there to 
transform it into a solid. Now the reason why he is always present in a 
clover field is because the clover stools die the second year and furnish this 
little microbe with nitro^J^enous food which he eats and precipitates salt- 
peter. The plant is rapidly decomposed by this chemical microbe and by 
his work the nitrates of potash and soda, the two most costly elements, are 
furnished. While clover is decomposing he gets his nitrogen easily, while he 
works under manure piles he gets his food easily, yes, rapidly, but under 
our Ohio farmer's barn door, during the five or six years in which time it 
lay on the field, he got ammonia from evei'y drop of soft water that fell, 
and as 25 or 30 feet fell, he had enough to add his wonderful deposit of 
niter to the soil. In this way we account for the corn growing on this par- 
ticular piece of land. 

51sii, Mulching Land to Increase its Fertility. — The practice of 
mulching plants and shrubs and also troe.s is as old as the history of nations. 
In this paragraph we will not discuss mulching as a protection to growing 
crops, trees or shrubs, for this well is known. Let us see if mulching does 
more than hoarding moisture in the soil. If the facts laid down in para- 
graph 50 are true, and we cannoL doubt them, then it follows that where- 
ever mulch lies on the ground cur!)onic acid and ammonia, from the atmos- 
phere, are continually collecting under all forms of mulch. Tlie NITER 
MICROBE is at work under every square yard of mulching. Science 
knows of no way in which the albuminoids and nitrogenous elements of all 
vegetable matter can return to the dust of the ground except by agency of 
this chemical animal. 

The practical benefit of mulching is now apparent. Now it is a fact 
that thousands of old straw stacks are lying out on Kansas farms, which are 
of no pi^actical benefit whatever. I recommend then, earl}' fall plowing for 
all ground which will be devoted to oats or corn, or garden crops, in the 
spring. Harrow all fall plowing just as you would for wheat crop, then 
apply to harrowed land one foot of straw mulching or even four inches deep 
in mulch will do. In the spring, burn off your straw if you have to use 
the land that soon, otherwise leave during the whole of the next season 
and then raise a crop and notice the results. 

Wherever this is practiced I venture to say that all will be convinced 
that the atmospheric gases help much to enrich the soil. Now I want 
about one thousand farmers to experiment on one acre of ground and cur- 
ry out the following prescription : 

Prepare and plant one acre of corn in ordinary way, mulch the acre 
about six inches deep with straw and pull up weeds, but do not cultivate 
and notice the results. If you cannot experiment on one acre take less. 
After melons and all similiar crops are planted and the surface well tilled 
straw mulch might be laid on and this would help the growing crop 
and also put the niter animal to work, then in the fall or spring biu-n off. 



25 
plow under the ashes and plant corn. There are many ways to employ 
this niter animal and secure his valuable services. 

52d, It is taken for granted that all farmers know the value of farm 
manures. When the author of this work was a practical farmer's boy — 
reading what Horace Greeely knew about farming, he was accustomed to 
haul out all barn yard manure as fast as it accumulated, which was about 
one ton per day in the winter season. I had three sleds at three different 
stables which would be loaded once in three days. I would hitch a team to 
each twice per week and scatter broadcast on timothy sod. Timothy would 
double its yield by this treatment. I have found out since that timothy is 
a soil destroyer. Now as timothy is being sown on Kansas farms, hasten 
to do likewise, fertilize it with animal manure. Sow timothy near farm 
buildings for the above reasons. 



Surface Soil Destroyers. 

SECTION VIll. 

53d. Indian Corn. — This cereal holds the leading place among the 
grains produced in the United States. It is supposed to be a native of 
America. It thrives over a wide range of climate and in a great variety of 
soils. A high temperature is required for its full development, but small 
varieties are grown as high as 47 north latitude. 

Corn loves moisture, light, heat and a deep rich loam. The stalks of 
corn are cylindrical in form, covered with a silicious substance, and filled 
with a fibrous pith. The leaves are long and flat, the largest ones being 
near the center of the plant. The Howeris in two portions, the staminate 
at the top of the stalk in the form of a tassel, which bears large quantities 
of pollen, and the pistilate on the side of the stalk between the tassel and the 
ground, which is called the silk. While there is but one species of corn, 
there is an immense number of varieties. The different varieties of corn 
vary greatly in size, yield and time of ripening. These qualities are mod- 
ified by climate and soil, and are due largely to the environment of the plant. 
There are northern varieties which ripen in ninety days. There are south- 
ern varieties which ripen in one hundi-ed and fifty days. The plant has, in a 
remarkable degree, the power of adapting itself to its surroundings. The 
plant will adajit itself to all kinds of soil and climate. Succeeding best in 
a rich warm loam, it will yet grow in any land, from gravel to peat, which 
is not barren of minerals or extremely wet. The yield is always determin- 
ed, bj' soil, by climate, by variety and by cultivation. 

Now from the above facts we class corn as a surface soil destroyer. 
We do this because it thrives best on soil well charged with carbonic acid 
and nitrate of soda and nitrate of potash. Corn does not extract as much 
niter from the soil as a wheat crop, but extracts more phosphoric acid and 
phosphate of potash. Corn as a soil destroyer should always follow a soil 



26 
creator. Corn should follow clover, beans, peas, the castor beans, buck- 
wheat, timber ground and all kinds of sod ground. While the ears are being 
formed it gathers carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and carbonate of lime 
and carbonate of soda from the soil. Corn will always be the king of the 
cereals. In this western country if the stalks were plowed under deeply 
in October the stalks and leaves would return during the process of de- 
composition enough fertility to keep the ground in first class condition. 
It destroys the ground faster where stalks and ears are both removed. By 
planting corn after one of the surface soil creators, the crop is placed un- 
der the best of circumstances to grow a full crop. 

54th, Wheat. — This cereal is a surface soil destroyer when we take 
the straw and grain off of the ground. Wheat gets a part of its carbonic acid 
from the soil and part from the atmosphere, therefore, it thrives best in a 
strong alluvial soil, as far as it is dependant on the soil for this element. 
It is dependant also upon the soil for its supply of nitrate of potash and 
soda 

Every bushel of wheat draws from the soil nearly one and three quar- 
ters of a pound of nitrogen or nitrate of potash and soda, therefore, the 
necessity of plowing under a soil creator such as mentioned in the preced- 
ing chapter, for all the above named soil producers leave a plenty of ni- 
trate of potash and soda iu the soil. 

Wheat develops its roots in two directions, the tap root grows down- 
ward generally three to four feet. Its mission seems to be after mineral mat- 
ter only, while the lateral roots spread out into the first six inches of the 
s urface soil and gather up the nitrate of potash and soda. Wheat seems 
to do best when the ground has been made rich with alluvial soil. It does 
not require a deep soil, for experiments demonstrate that shallow plowing 
soon after old crop is taken off, then harrow after several rains, drill 
moderately deep, brings a good crop. 

The tap root loves a permanent soil to grow in. The surface roots 
grow well in a loam, therefore comply with the above suggestions and the 
best results will follow, as far as conditions can be controlled. By plant- 
ing this crop as above described twice as much wheat can be obtained. 
Health in the growing plant can be obtained only by complying with the 
above directions, then the crop will thi'iv^, and out live the chinch bug, 
rust and all other diseases. In all central and southei-n states farmers 
should buy the modern sub-soil plow, and sub-soil as deep as three horses 
can do the work and move with ease. Where a good crop of soil producers 
is plowed under, the sub-soiled ventilated, there wheat will grow because 
not only is every chemical element there but sub-soil moisture will continue 
to rise during the last stages of crop growth. 

Soil with the above conditions present will also stand more wet weathe 
as well as more drouth than the land in old conditions. Every farmer 
should study his soil in reference to the above elements and conditions and 
conform his farm management to the same, as soon as he can. 



27 

55th, Oats. — This cereal can be grown on a great variety of soils. 
This grain does not seem to demand so much organic matter to be present 
in the surface soil as other grains, as wheat, barley and rye; but it thrives 
best when corn and wheat have taken part of the gases out of the surface 
soil. There are a great many varieties, some adapted to the northern coun- 
tries and others to the southern countries which will not be discussed here. 
The oat is considered a soil destroyer, because when land is sown with 
oats and the crop removed the land is not so fertile or will not produce so 
much year after year as it does when sown on fresh new land. The oat 
develops a tap root down into the earth in length equal to the stem growth 
above ground. This tap root with its branches are after its mineral 
elements. It has a numerous amount of fine lateral roots which canvas the 
surface soil and gather in not only mineral matter but the gases, carbonic 
acid and ammonia. Therefore the oat is a soil destroyer. It should fol- 
low the soil producer. In the southern states oats ought to follow a crop 
which has been planted as soil producer and has been plowed under in a 
green state. But the southern farmer frequently plants his oats on the 
poorest land on the farm. In Iowa or any northeim state oats can follow 
the corn crop. In nearly all states fall plowed ground is best for an early 
crop. Oats thrive the best in the northern climates; they grow early in 
spring under a low temperature, therefore in all southern states this crop 
should be planted early. In the south the stock pea should be planted and 
the same plowed under for the purpose of producing a perfect soil for oats. 

56th, Rye. — This cereal is like wheat, corn and oats a soil dusfroycr^ for 
it does not get all of its carbonic acid and ammonia fi'om the atmosphere, 
but from the surface soil. Rye does .lot take from the soil so much of the 
nitrates of potash and soda, not so much of the phosphoric acid, as the 
corn or wheat crop, therefore it will frequently gi'ow one or two years 
longer on ground where wheat will not grow a paying crop. This cereal 
should be sown on hundreds of thousands of acres of corn land in the north- 
ern states for fall and spring pasture, and also as a crop to be plowed un- 
der in the spring season after it has grown six inches high, for a soil pro- 
ducer. "When the rye can be sown just before the laying by of the corn it 
will get a fine start for fall pasture, then with the stalks it furnishes a good 
winter pasture, and both stalks and rye increase the vegetable base of soil. 
The roots of rye like wheat and oats and corn act under ground as a soil 
destroyer. Rye therefore grows best in a rich mineral loam, although it 
will do well on poorer soils. It is practically a soil destroyer, and should 
when planted for the yield in seed be planted on good rich sandy loam. 

57th, Barley. — This cereal is a soil destroyer as much so as the above 
cereals, but ditfers from them all in s<ime respects. It enjoys the northern 
climate and the sea shore climate better than the warm internal climates. 
It extracts large quantities of minerals from the sub-soils and is very fond 
of carbonates and nitrates of the surface soil, therefore it should follow a 
soil producing crop. Plant a soil producing crop, plow the same under, 
then plant the barley crop in the spring. The best of results should follow. 



28 
Barley is a strong food for man and beast because of its muscle feeders and 
nerve feeders. 

58th, The Root Growing Crops. — Beets, Carrots, Parsnips, Turnips, 
Radishes, Onions and all similar root crops are soil destroyers. These 
root crops thrive well cnly on the best alluvial soil. New bottom laud is 
the best. Barn yard manure at the rate of 80 to 100 tons per acre should 
be put on the ground for root crops and plowed under say in the spring 
then sow buckwheat, and when it is in the milk state, plow the same under, 
then plant the root crop the following spring. All of the above crops will 
do still better if the sub-soil plow follows. I mean by sub-soiling the ven- 
tilation of the sub-soil and do not mean in any case the throwing of the sub- 
soil on the surface, for that is not following the laws of nature, but a plain 
violation of the same. But letting in the air into the sub-soil is following 
the laws of nature and therefore beneficial. For further instruction on the 
subject of how to plant, grow and cultivate the above root crops I refer 
you to D. M. Ferity's seed catalogue, which is issued annually and has all 
needed instructions, after you read this work and build up the soil by the 
instructions herein given. 

59th. The cabbage, lettuce, celery and leeks plants are all soil des- 
troyers, therefore plant on the richest of soils. 

60th, Melons, cucumbers, squash and pumpkins are all surface soil 
destroyers and should be treated as such. Cultivate as the best works on 
the subject direct you as I have no room here, but to treat of their relation 
to the soil. 

61st, Tobacco. — This plant grown on gi-ound rich and alluvial extracts 
the gaseous elements so fast that the ground soon becomes poor for this 
crop, therefore tobacco is a radical soil destroyer. To quickly restore the 
tobacco fields of the south which az-e now worn out, the southern farmer 
should plow under several pea crops. This soil producing crop canvasses 
so many square yards of sub-soil that the ground is soon filled with the 
proper elements and conditions to raise large crops of tobacco. 

62d, Cotton — Like tobacco is a radical soil destroyer when we take 
off the seed, the lint and frequently burn the stalks. The cotton roots 
o-ather both the agricultural minerals and the nitrates and carbonates; 
or the gaseous matter, in large quantities. The southern pea should be 
used as a soil producer, then a bale per acre can be obtained on the hill 

land. 

63d, Weeds. — The author cannot speak of weeds in particular for it 
would take more than the space in this pamphlet to do the subject justice. 

A few general observations will suffice. All weeds which thrive well 
in tnch ground and will hardly grow in poor ground can be classified as 
soil destroyers. There are many weeds which thrive well on worn out 
land. The farmer can classify them as soil producers. Plow all weeds under 
in a green state if possible, then the chemical influence during the process 
of decomposition is worth moi'e than the weeds themselves are in fertilizing 
the soil. 



29 

64th, Osage Hedge Shrub. — This shrub or low growing tree is one 
of the greatest soil destroyers in ail this western country. This shrub 
grows a very durable piece of timber, which makes good posts. It has a 
slick upper surface on its leaves. It has long lateral" roots which grow far 
out into the surface soil. The farmer ought to look at these roots careful- 
ly and observe the different layers of rappings around the roots which seem 
to furnish them with an abundant power to pull out all organic gases as 
well as the mineral matter from the soil. While this shrub has served its 
purposes as a fence, a wind break, and again as fence posts, no more should 
be planted, for they are so destructive to the sixteen elements of a perfect 
soil. 

The easiest way to get rid of the roots is by the use of a dense shade. 
Chop down about as many rods of hedge as you can handily cover deeply 
with old straw. Cover the roots two feet deep or even more and four feet 
wide, with old straw and leave the straw about two years, then burn it off. 
The breaking plow can then be used and run nearly up to the old fence 
row. In a few years more the stump roots, and in this easy way the roots 
can be finally disposed of. 

65th, The Apple Tree. — This tree cultivated as it is in all of the 
western states for the fruit it bears has not yet been by any author, ana- 
lyzed as a soil desti'oyer. But it will take out of the surface soil just the 
same elements which the soil producers place in the surface soil. There- 
fore it is a soil destroyer. The orchard should therefore be planted on 
ground that will yield a good corn crop, and not on the highest and poorest 
ground on the farm. There are in the state of Kansas over (!.(»00,000 bear- 
ing trees or trees which should bear. There are about 5,000,000 apple trees 
in the state not old enough to bear. The usual way is to plant corn among 
the trees until they begin to bear apples, then the orchard is seeded down 
to grass which frequently is like the corn crop a soil destroyer. The 
farmer then expects his oi'chard to bear fruit from a barren soil. But in 
Kansas the drouth lasting two months is even more severe on the tree and 
the fruit than a barren soil. I have observed man}' a Kansas orchard which 
has been planted on a hill with the soil destroyed by corn, then seeded down 
with weeds and whatever grass happens to take and grow on the land. 
This land being destitute of vegetable loam gets very dry and hard in the 
summer and is the very worst condition an orchard could be in. This is 
fruit culture as it exists but not as it should be. Now the proper way to 
cultivate a young orchard is as follows: 1st. — Plant an orchard on the 
best corn ground and cultivate with corn the fii'st two years, then follow 
with crops which are soil producers for several years. 2d. — Seed down if 
possible with clover, if not sow stock peas in June and let them shade the 
ground and ventilate the soil and sub-soil and gather carbonic acid and 
ammonia from the atmosphere, and in this way furnish an abundant fertili- 
ty for a perfect growth of tree and fruit. 3d. — When pea crop is ripe turn 
in the hogs, for the hog will thrive on the stock pea, and eat up the imper- 
fect fruit and tramp leaves and stalks into the soil. This process can be 



30 
continued until the ground is rich enough to be seeded in blue grass. In 
this wa}^ alone can the soil furnish the proper combination of elements for 
the lateral roots and fibrous rootlets which soon canvass the whole surface 
of the ground. 

There are a great many hard pan sub-soils which should be broken up 
by the use of dynamite, for it spends its explosive force by circulation and 
is adapted, when placed just below where you want to set a tree, to ventilate 
the sub-soil and let the air and water have a chance to assist the roots in 
finding the necessary elements of mineral fertility. 

()(!th, The Plum Teee. — This tree like the apple is a surface soil des- 
troyer, therefoi'e the earth should be in as good condition as the best corn 
land. Plums are generally grafted on peach roots which are very des- 
tructive to the surface soil; therefore plant on good ground and keep the 
land fertile with soil pi'oducing crops. 

67th, The Peach. — This species with all of its varieties is endowed 
with the power to absorb the elements of perfect soil. Peach trees are 
generall}^ allowed to stand much too long. This tree grows quick, spends 
its force and in ten years ought to be grubbed out. A new orchard of peach 
trees should be planted every few years. Keep the ground fertile as re- 
commended in paragraph (jJ:. 

G8th, Raspberry Vines. — This shrub is a soil destroyer and should 
have as good ground as the farm can afford. I have seen farmers plant 
this shrub on the poorest land on the farm, then e.xpect a perfect crop but 
are generally disappointed. Plant on good ground, mulch in winter and 
by this means carbonic acid and ammonia will accumulate in the soil. The 
plants should be grubbed out in about five years and the ground used for some 
other purpose. The ground should be planted with a soil producing crop 
and rest one year if raspberry shrubs are to be planted the second time on 
the same land. 

69th, Blackberries. — This vine is a semi-soil destroyer. This vine 
is a soil destroyer only as far as the roots behave under the surface, for its 
leaves gather much carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and are supposed 
to gather ammonia also. This vine then is a semi-soil destroyer. Plant the 
blackberries in good fertile soil. Mulch in winter, leave straw on to rot 
between rows after the first year, for this is necessary to keep down weeds, 
hold moisture and furnish fertility for the roots. 

70th, Strawberries. — This plant is a soil destroyer and should not 
be planted on land unless it will bear a good crop of corn. About 60 tons 
of bai-n yard manure plowed under and exhausted by a gai-den crop 
furnishes a good base in Kansas for a strawberry bed. If large acres are 
going to be planted then castor beans or peas should be used as a fallow 
crop. After one crop is plowed under, say in August, then sow rye, plow 
this crop under in April and follow the plow with a sub-soiler leaving the 
sub-soil where it belongs, would furnish the conditions for the best results 
for the strawberries. 



31 

The old straw stack could be spread on an acre and let it remain two" 
years, then burn and prepare the land as above and the best results can bo 
expected. 

71st, The Irish Potato. — This is one of the most important of cul- 
tivated plants. Millions of bushels are annually raised for food. Its rela- 
tion to the soil is important, it is a strong surface soil destroyer. One 
hundred tons of coarse barn yard manure is just enough for one acre if the 
same is plowed under and the ground fallowed one season. The ground 
' should be plowed several times while the fallow process is doing the work 
necessary to prepare the soil for perfect results the next season. 

The greatest fault the American farmer has is his eager desire to do so 
much in so short length of time. Do not try to do everything in one sea- 
son. Build up the soil then I'eap the harvest. Any one desiring to raise 
potatoes should first learn how to fertilize the ground as described in the 
different paragraphs of this work, then read some special work on potato 
culture. All this ''Science and Art of Farming'" knows about the potato 
has to do with its relation to the soil. It is a soil destroyer, therefore 
build up the soil, then destroy the same by the potato crop. 

72d, The Sweet Potato. — This root vine differs in some respects 
from the Irish potatoes. The sweet potato is a semi-soil destroyer for it 
gets only a part of its gaseous matter from the earth. The millions of lit- 
tle stomaclis in the leaves gather carbonic acid and ammonia from the 
atmosphere, and on this account is a semi-soil destroyer. The sweet pota- 
to is a native of some southei'n climate, and gathers more carbonic acid 
from the air and transforms the same into starch than the Irish potato. 
It also grows better in the southern states than in the northern states, 
while the Irish potato grows best under low temperature and in the 
northern states. 

73d, Blue grass, timothy grass, orchaixl grass, red top grass and all 
similar grasses are semi-soil destroyers, and good rich ground should be 
prepared for their growth. Prepare the ground by planting the soil crea- 
tors, follow with grass as soil destroyers. Much more might be said here 
but space forbids. 

74th, The Grape Vine. — This vine is a first class soil destroyer. The 
roots go down after mineral matter and also canvass the surface soil after 
the gases, carbonic acid and ammonia. In all countries where clover grows 
plant the grape on clover soil. Where it will not grow plant after some 
other soil producing crop. For further information read the many excel- 
lent works on grape culture. The great question is in keeping the soil in 
good condition and not in the culture. I saw an old vineyard once in north- 
western Missoui'i which had quit bearing grapes because all alluvial matter 
had been taken up b}' the fibi'ous i-ootlets. And the rootlets themselves 
had been killed by the cultivator. I thought that here was an excellent 
chance to put to test the facts and laws of the "Science and Art of Farm- 
ing." I requested the farmer to sow clover on his ten acres of old vineyard 
land, let the clover come and decay of its own accord, which he did. The 



32 

result is easily guessed. The clover grew and rotted about four crops. It 
transformed the yellow barren clay into a fertile primitive soil. The crop 
for several years was immense. 

Volumes might be written on the above subject but space forbids. 
When four crops of clover have come and rotted on the ground, then the 
greatest, benefit comes when the niter microbe has transformed the nitro- 
genous elements of the clover into the soil elements of nitrate of potash 
and nitrate of soda. These elements are so costly that no vinyardist can 
afford to purchase them. Should this pamphlet fall into the hands of some 
grape grower, the advantage to be taken by the above information cannot 
be calculated. 



Water Precipitation on the Wes- 
tern Farnn. 



SECTION IX. 

75th, The United States depends for rain not on the Pacific ocean, but 
on the Gulf of Mexico. There can be but little doubt that, but for the high 
range of the Rocky mountains in Central America, the greater part of the 
western states would be an arid waste. 

These mountains are so high as to present an effectual barrier to the 
passage of the trade-winds which blow over the Gulf of Mexico. They are, 
on this account, turned northwaixl, and spread themselves over the states, 
espcially over the low basin of the Mississippi. These winds being charac- 
terized by the great heat, and loaded with moisture from the warm waters 
of the Gulf of Mexico, tend to disturb the statical equilibrium of the at- 
mosphere. When they have blown for sometime, vast accumulations of 
moisture take place, the equilibrium is destroyed, and a great storm arises 
in consequence, sweeping eastward over the states, and in many cases 
crossing the Atlantic and descending with violence on western Europe. 

In all of our western states, the southerly winds preceding the storm 
give place to the dry north west winds, which rapidly clear the sky and 
bring brilliant, bracing weather in their train. It is a fact that the south 
winds from the Gulf of Mexico spread the moistures over the states and the 
north west wind disengages this moisture from them by coming in below 
them, because of their greater density, and thrusting them into the high 
regions of the atmosphere. If this be the case, as the phenomena indicate, 
then the heaviest rain falls will be in the valleys, and the least on the high- 
er grounds — a mode of distribution quite different from that prevalent in 
Europe. This explains why the greatest rain fall occurs annually in the 
state of Florida, for the rain record in several places in that state is as fol- 
lows: Pensacola, 57 inches; Fort Brooke, 55 inches; Fort Pierce, 63 inches 



33 

of rain falls annually. The rain fall in the Gulf states averages over 50 in. 
annually. The low bottoms of the Mississippi are blessed with an annual 
rain fall of nearly GO inches. 

The amount of rain fall diminishes as we get away from the great fath- 
er of waters. Now we will lay down a few facts and draw a few con- 
clusions. First, all moisture which falls on the American farm comes as a 
rule from the Gulf of Mexico. Second, the trade winds blow from all 
points on the Gulf towards the Rocky mountain range. Third, the great 
ice cap peaks draw towards themselves a great amount of warm moist at- 
mosphere and serve as condensers and cloud formers. Fourth, warm 
moist currents pass over western farms and do not stop until they reach 
the Reeky mountains unless compelled to do so by the cooler temperature 
of lower curi'ents coming from the Rockies toward the Gulf. Fifth, Radi- 
ation is so great in July and August that the moist currents going toward 
the Rocky mountains are raised much higher than they are earlier in the 
season or later in the fall; therefore the moist currents are too high up in 
the mid summer months and the temperature of the same is too great to be 
available for cloud formation. Sixth, the cooler currents are warmed by 
heat radiating from the prairie farms of the weist as they return from the 
Rocky mountains toward the Gulf, therefore the moisture which would 
otherwise be precipitated now passes over this otherwise grand agricultur- 
al country in the form of white clouds, and these clouds turn dark in the 
great valley and shed their rain drops where they are least needed. Now 
from the above facts there are two things which the farmei's of the west 
can do to increase the local rain fall. The farmers can plant at least five 
acres of timber on each farm which will not only be growing good timber 
for the future generations, but will hold moisture under such groves and 
yield up the same in June, July and August, when such moisture is so 
much needed to check the effects of the sun's i-ays and assist in forming 
local clouds which will in turn furnish local showers. 

Groves can retain moisture vmder their dense shades until the high 
temperature of mid summer compels it to ascend into the atmosphere; 
therefore groves can assist in yielding up moisture at the season when such 
local moisture is much needed to increase the local precipitation or rain fall. 
The natural sciences suggest that this yielding up of moisture explains all 
the good the groves of the west can do to increase the local rain fall. If 
there were five acres of timber on cn-ery half section in all of the western 
states, then the combined influence would no doubt be great. There ought 
to be at least ten miles of solid timber planted on the south line of the 
state of Kansas to check the hot winds of the south, and also charge the 
same with moisture. Then at least five miles in width should be devoted 
to the same timber culture every hundred miles as you go north until you 
reach the British possessions. The time may come when the general govern, 
ment might set out timber on such a large scale, individuals never will. 
So the best thing we can now do is to deal with the practical. We can plant 
groves as individuals. This we are doing and should do until at least one 



34 

twentieth of all farms should be in valuable timber culture. There is one 
more suggestion the author can bring before his readers, which would be 
of great benefit to every farm and at the same time a great benefit to assist 
nature and her laws governing the amount of rain fall. 

The author would suggest that tha farmers organize in every school 
house in the western country and assist each other in placing a large water 
stoppage of at least five aci'es on every lai'ge farm in all of this western 
country. Suppose there was a five acre lake of water on every half section 
of land in all this western country, the benefit to the atmosphere in June, 
July and August cannot be estimated. I will enumerate some of the bene- 
fits. First, such bodies of water would furnish a good supply of water for 
stock and if the ponds did cover five acres of land the water would purify 
itself by the action of the water in motion. In the second place this large 
surface of water would yield up a large amount of moisture in June, July 
and August, when it would do good to the growing crops in return showers. 
If there were such bodies of water on every half section and such groves as 
above described the author believes that even in flroughty Kansas the local 
shower would be the rule in the summer months and not the exception. I 
rejoice also that many other naturalists view this subject as I do. ^This lake 
of water on every farm would furnish a home for fish of several kinds, and 
in this way furnish food for the table. Fish furnish much more food for the 
muscles and brains than the common food from the farm, therefore, what 
an advantage it would be for the farmer to eat more fish and less pork. 

The farmer generally feeds his cows and hogs more brain food than 
they need and gives his children an excess of the kinds of food which pi-o- 
duce fat. 

The Foundation Principles of **The 
Science and Art of Farming/' 

SECTION X. 

76th, It will be interesting to all classes of readers to fully realize that 
the scientific observations and instructions given in the foregoing sections 
can be demonstrated to be ti-ue and conclusive by the science of organic 
chemistry. Organic chemistry has to do with the surface soil or alluvium, 
the various classes of vegetation, the animal economy and the human con- 
stitution. Organic chemistry finds a certain number of elements in the hu- 
man body, and also a very differentiating proportion. If the philosopher 
should enquire how these elements get into the human body, the answer 
would be as follows: 

These elements of the human body are transferred from the outside 
world and become a part of the human constitution by eating, by drink- 
ing and by breathing; therefore, there are no more elements in the human 
body than there are in the air, water and the food supply as above stated. 



35 

Now the philosopher asks one more question, namely, where does the food 
supply or growing crops get their constitutional elements. The answer is 
forthcoming, the growing crops get their elements fi-om the air, from wa- 
ter and from the surface soil. Therefore, the final logical conclusion is 
this, there are no more and no less elements in the soil than there are in the 
growing crops or the human constitution, for both come from the soil. Soil 
has been considered by the unphilosophicaland unlearned to be anything and 
any elements which happens to be on the face of the earth. But a definite 
conception of agricultural soil includes only those elements which the grow- 
ing crops gather from the surface soil, plus the element of air and water. 
Therefore the final conclusion is that the organic elements of organic soil, 
organic farm crops, and organic animal bodies, are the same in number; 
but present an endless variety of combinations and differentiated propor- 
tions. The human body in its growth gathers together only fourteen dif- 
ferent elements. But it has seventeen combinations of the fourteen ele- 
ments. When the human body dies and returns to the ground it produces 
a perfect surface soil, which is comprehended in eighteen elements obtain- 
ed from the foui'teen by the process of decomposition. 

The author observed the above facts about sixteen years ago, and the 
facts have laid for him a foundation for a new science, namely the "Science 
and Art of Farming.'' Therefore a few chemical statements will illustrate 
the above argument. Chemical analysis of the human constitution when 
alive and weighing one hundred and fifty four pounds. In one hundred 
parts can be stated as follows, from Dr. Bellows' chemical tables. 

The Human Body Analyzed. 



ELEMENTS. 



LBS. 



OZ. 



OR. 



Oxygen, a gas in quantity sufficient to oc- 
cupy a space equal to 750 cubic ft. 
Hydrogen, a gas occupying 3000 cu. ft. 
Carbon, 
Phosphorus, 
Nitrogen, 

Cilcium, the metallic base of lime, 
.^luorine, found in the bones, 
Sulphur, 
Chlorine, 
Sodium, 

Iron, which gives color to the b'.ood. 
Potassium, 
Magnesium, 
Silicon, - 



111. 


0. 





u. 


0. 





21. 


0. 





1. 


12. 


190 


3. 


8. 





2 


0. 





0. 


2. 





0. 


2. 


210 


0. 


2. 


47 


0. 


2. 


116 


0. 


0. 


100 


0. 


i). 


290 


0. 


0. 


12 


0. 


0. 


2 



THE ELEMENTS OF A BODY WEIGHING 154 POUNDS. 



36 

Now suppose the same living body dies and is not buried but returns 
to the soil elements from which it originally came, what will we have ? The 
following statement will show: 

1. Oxygen. 

2. Hydrogen. 

3. Carbonic acid gas. 

4. Ammonia. 

5. Nitrogen, unites with potassium and soda. 

6. Carbon. 

7. Calcium, metallic base of lime. 

8. Carbonate of lime. 

9. Phosphate of lime. 

10. Floride of calcium. 

11. Phosphate of soda. 

12. Phosphate of potash. 

13. Phosphate of magnesia. 

14. Chloride of sodium. 

15. Sulphate of soda. 

16. Carbonate of soda. 

17. Peroxide of iron. 

18. Silica. 

(total elements in number is.) 

Therefore a human body when it returns to the soil produces all the 
above combinations and adds them to the soil. Therefore the above ele- 
ments only belong to a perfect agricultural soil. 

The grandest discovery in agricultural history is the fact that when 
the crops which are called soil producers or creators in the foregoing sec- 
tions are plowed under and decompose and return to the soil, they produce 
the above IS elements, and therefore produce perfect surface noil in every case 
where the agricrdtural minerals are present in the soil. It is also true that the 
above minerals are in nearly all clay sub-soils. It is also true that the soil 
producers, throw out certain acids from their rootlets and unlock the above 
minerals in abundance, and also grow much deeper than soil destroyers, 
and on this account bring all clay soils as above described to chemical per- 
fection when plowed under. There are soil creators and soil destroyers in 
all farm crops of all countries. Therefore the scientific instructions here- 
in given can be practiced in all climates and countries on the globe. Now 
if there are soil creators and soil destroyers on all farms the world over, then 
all farmers can learn to classify the same and in theory and in practice re- 
duce farming to a definite science. 



37 

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION. 



Feeding Value of the Cereals and 

Other Crops by Chemical 

Analysis. 



SECTION XI. 



77th, Chemical analysis of the cerals and other articles of food, in 100 



parts: 
















ARTICLES. 


Food for Muscies 




Food lor Kat. 


Food for Nerves 




Water. 


Waste. 


Wheat, 


U.6 


- 


66.4 


1.6 


- 


14.0 


- 3.4. 


Barley, 


12.8 


- 


52.1 


4.2 


- 


14.0 


- 16.9. 


Oats, 


17.0 


- 


50.8 


3.0 


- 


13.6 


- 15.6. 


North'n Corn, 


12.3 


- 


67.5 


1.1 


- 


14.0 


- 5.1. 


South'n Corn, 


34.6 


- 


39.2 


4.1 


- 


14.0 


- 8.1. 


Buckwheat, 


8.6 


- 


53.0 


1.8 


- 


14.2 


- 22.4. 


Rye, 


6.5 


- 


75.2 


0.5 


- 


13.5 


- 4.3. 


Peas, 


23.4 


- 


41.0 


2.5 


- 


14.1 


- 19.0. 


Beans, 


24.0 


- 


40.0 


3.5 


- 


14.8 


- 17.7. 


Irish Potafs, 


1.4 


- 


15.8 


0.9 


- 


74.8 


- 7.1. 


Sweet " 


1.5 


- 


21.8 


2.9 


- 


67.5 


- 6.3. 



I consider wheat the king of all cereals. It can be eaten by man and 
beast in all climates and in all seasons of the year with the best of results. 
Why will men take 100 pounds of wheat and separate sixty-six pounds of 
starch, which is devoted to keep up the heat and fat of the animal econ- 
omy, and utilize this in the form of bread and at the same time reject the 
fourteen pounds of nitrogen which is utilized in the animal economy to feed 
the muscles. Think of the tons of bran and shorts which are annually lost 
to the human family and fed to stock. Yet we boast of living in the nine- 
teenth century or scientific age. Wheat then being a perfect food for the 
animal kingdom should be fed as it grows with all the elements and in the 
same proportion as furnished by the laws of nature. There has been much 
said of late about the feeding value of wheat. By a reference to the above 
table wheat when compared with northern corn has this difference. Wheat 
has two pounds more muscle food in every 100 pounds than northern corn 



38 
, Wheat has one pound less food for fat in every 100 pounds than northern 
corn. Therefore for growing muscles wheat is best, for putting on fat 
corn is best. For both growth and fat wheat is best. For water, wheat 
and corn are alike. "Waste material in the above table is the woody fiber 
in fact; but in the animal economy when eaten it is used to keep up the ac- 
tion of the digestive organs. Therefore as wheat has two pounds less of 
waste it is not so good as corn to keep up the action of the bowels. 

Now the reader can take wheat in the above table and by comparison 
can bring every other article in comparison with it and in this way become 
acquainted with the relative value of the different articles of the food sup- 
ply. When wheat is fed to fatten cattle it should be fed without being 
threshed. The bundles should be taken and laid in the regular feed 
troughs, then take a cleaver and cut off the butts and leave the heads only 
in the trough. Have plenty of hogs to follow and the best results will be 
obtained. In this way the threshing bill is excepted, and that much is 
gained. Then in this way the steer eats also much more chatT which is a 
strong food, and therefore another gain. This also furnishes all of the con- 
ditions of health. 

The same might be said of oats. As a general rule oats should be fed in 
the bundle for health and the best results. Oats excels wheat in muscu- 
lar food and also in brain and nerve food. Oats therefore is adapted to be 
fed to young and growing stock. Oats can be fed to calves, commencing 
when they are two months old and increase the oats for two months as you 
lessen the quantity of milk, then the calf will never know when it is wean- 
ed. Then feed oats to the young calves all winter and in the spring they 
will be one-third larger than when managed in the old way. If you look 
over the above table you cannot find anything better to feed the young 
colt at weaning time than oats, for organic chemistry as well as human ex- 
perience demonstrates that the horse feels his oats. The colt will eat them 
eagerly and in this way the mother will not long be missed. 

Now suppose you had forty young hogs, which would weigh fifty 
pounds each, what should you feed them to make them grow the fastest ? 
Southern corn would be the greatest for muscular growth. But oats will 
do almost as well as Southern corn and keep the health of the shoats much 
better than corn. I requested a large dealer in hogs to invest in oats 
when they could be purchased for 20 cents or less, and feed to all classes 
of hoo"s while he was bunching them and getting ready to ship. This par- 
ticular farmer tried the experiment with the best results. I met this man 
afterwai'ds on the railroad and inquired of him how oats served as an all- 
round food for hogs. He said that he had so much faith in oats as the 
proper food for hogs that he had enlarged his feed yards and divided his 
hofs into three classes. The first class wex'e young pigs, which he fed oats 
soaked twenty-four hours before feeding. The second and older class he 
fed oats twice a day and soaked corn once per day. The third class he fed 
oats and shelled corn dry and let them drink pure water from the well. 
This last class he called his shippers. This man said he would not take 



39 
several thousand dollars for the information and suggestions which I had 
given him. By obsei'ving the above chemical tables it will be seen that 
rye has 75 per cent for heat and fat. Now.for fattening any animal quickly 
rye is the cereal. Soaked rye will fatten hogs faster than any other grain. 
The above suggestions are sufficient to assist every farmer to commence a 
study and a practice in the feeding value of the cereals. I was raised in 
Lorain county, Ohio, where everybody was in the cheese making business. 
The question came up how can we raise the calf and furnish the milk to the 
cheese factory at the same time. Or how can we raise a calf on whey ? 
There were many answers to the question, I had the honor of solving the 
problem. First, I found out the chemical analysis of whey which was as 
follows: Muscle- feeders, none; food for fat, 4.6; food for nerves, 0.7; wa- 
ter 94.7; waste none. I answered at once you cannot raise a calf on whey; 
but you can starve it to death very easily, for ninety-four pounds in every 
hundred is water. Calves cannot live on water. The next thing to do 
was to study the nature of the calf, which I did. 

The next idea was the following experiment: I took a calf 10 days old 
and taught him to eat a compound of bran, shorts and meal, one- third 
each in a dry state. This was a grand success. In less than ten days the 
calf was eating this compound in a dry state and doing well; eating about 
one quart per day. Experience soon taught me to keep bran, shorts and 
corn meal on the farm by the ton in quantity. Then I would serve twenty 
calves as follows — I would give them all the warm whey they needed in the 
morning only as it came fresh from the factory. Then at noonday I would 
give them all the bran, shorts and meal mixed needed for a day's rations. 
This together with good shady pasture and black river water furnished all 
the elements and met all the co.iditions to make the calves thrive. This 
experiment was so successful that it has spread over three counties. The 
above experiment of feeding the above compound to calves and continuing 
the same through the winter and also late in the spring did much to make 
farming a success. This experiment alone made several thousand dollars 
difference in results. All cattle should be ready for the beef market by the 
time they are two years old. Cattle and hogs for the meat market should 
be fattened as they grow and be matured as quickly as possible. This saves 
using up so much food to keep them warm so long for fat only accumulates 
after the system is warmed up. Quick growth, quick sales and small prof- 
its or willingness to accept the markets as they come bring the best re- 
sults. I would not speak so advisedly here if I had not been the most suc- 
cessful farmers boy, and by being such helped to accumulate $35,000 on 
the farm. It was this early intense education and successful practice 
which has led me on to master every phenomena on the farm. 

I see I have room in this pamphlet to give a further chemical analysis 
of many articles on the farm. Therefore I will make the following quota- 
tion from Dr. Bellows' chemical tables. I make the following quotation 
because it was from the same tables I have made all my successful ex- 
periments: — 



40 
ARTICLES. Food for Muscle, Food for Fat, Food for Nerves. Water. Waste. 



Buckwheat, 


8.6 


53.0 


1.8 


- 14.2 


22.4. 


Rice, 


5.1 


82.0 


05 


9.0 


3.4. 


Parsnips, 


2.1 


14.5 


1.0 


- 79.4 


3.0. 


Turnips, 


1.2 


4.0 


0.5 


- 90.4 


3.9. 


Carrots, 


1.1 


12.2 


1.0 


- 82.5 


3.2. 


Cabbage, 


1.2 


6.2 


0.8 


- 91.3 


0.5. 


Cauliflower, 


3.6 


4.6 


1.0 


- 90.0 


0.8. 


Cucumber, 


0.1 


1.7 


0.5 


- 97.1 


0.6. 


Milk of cow, - 


5.0 


8.0 


1.0 


- 86. 




Human milk, - 


8.0 


7.0 


0,5 


- 89.5 




Veal, 


17.7 


14.3 


2.3 


- 65.7 




Beef, 


19.0 


14.0 


2.0 


- 65.0 




Lamb, 


19.6 


14.3 - 


2.2 


- 63.9 




Mutton, 


21.0 


14.0 


2.0 


- 63.0 




Pork, 


17.5 


16.0 


2.2 


- 64.3 




Chicken, 


21.6 


1.9 


2.8 


- 73.7 




Oyster, 


12.6 


- 


0.2 


- 87.2 




Salmon, 


20.0 


1.0 


6.0 


- 75.0 




Eggs, white, - 


13.0 


- 


2.8 


- 84.2 




Eggs, yolk, - 


16.9 


29.8 


2.0 


- 51.3 




Butter, 




- 100.0 




- 




Cheese, 


30.8 


28.0 


4.7 


- 36.5 





Miscellaneous Subject Continued. 

SECTION XII. 

78th. The American Hog. — The rearing of swine is one of the most 
important branches of industry. So immense has hog raising become, 
that there are at the least calculation about 5,000,000 now nearly ready 
for the market and the sales of this year's supply will aggregate about 
$50,000,000. The annual sales of swine bring more money to farmers than 
any other class of live stock. Anything beneficial to this vast industry is 
on account of its greatness, beneficial to the whole nation. Our govern- 
ment has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to find out what is the 
cause and cure of hog cholera. The national congress appropriated $100,- 
000 at one time to find out the cause and remedy of the dire malady. From 
all of the facts and observations brought together by past research I have 
come to the conclusion that there is no such a disease as hog cholera; I 
have also come to the conclusion that the hog has nearly as many diseases 
as the human family, and cause of diseases and cure are the same. 



41 

I have seen shoats die with chills and fever; i e, as far as I could judge 
—but the farmers declare that the hogs die with the cholera. Now when 
hogs group together and shake for several hours every other day they are 
actually having a spell of chills and the fever follows, and finally blood 
poison caused death; for the hog has but little constitutional power to 
throw off disease. Again, I have seen hogs have fever for 28 days — son)e 
of them live and some die. I inquire of the farmer in this case and as be- 
fore he says his hogs are dying with the hog cholera. Again I have seen 
hogs apparently in good health and fattening well but all at once appetite 
fails and some moi-ning they are found dead in their bed, but in the best of 
flesh, or it seems that the diseases have not caused them to lose one pound 
of flesh. Now as a philosopher I am puzzled to know how young hogs 
chilling, older hogs having a run of fever for 80 days, and others dying in 
a few hours without a bit of fever, can all be said to die with one disease or 
hog cholera. It is all nonsense, the hog does not die with the hog cholera, 
but with all sorts of disease. 

The hog dies with chills and fever. The hog dies with typhoid fever. 
The hog dies with heart disease caused by blood poison. 

The young pigs die with measles frequently in great numbers. The 
hog dies with lung diseases. 

Now I have observed that nearly all of the above diseases can be 
traced to one cause more than any other cause — carbonic acid gas in the 
atmosphere and ammonia in the atmosphere cause nearly all the diseases 
the hog has. These gases are abundant in the atmosphere where he sleeps 
These gases combine with other elements and form a vegetable growth on 
the tongue, throat and stomach. This causes a very morbid condition and 
the hog commences to lose his api)etite. These vegetable plants on the 
tongue, throat and stomach decompose and turn into animalcules or mi- 
crobes which are the cause of all the fevers the hog is subject to. There 
are many kinds of plants, many kinds of microbes, and finally many fevers 
and various diseases. I do not pretend to be infallable in the above ob- 
servations and conclusions. I simply am telling my experience as a chem- 
ist and a naturalist. Having studied the nature of carbonic acid and ammo- 
nia in their relation to many other elements has caused me to come to the 
conclusions as above stated. After I came to the conclusion that carbonic 
acid and ammonia were the cause of most of all the diseases the hog is sub- 
ject to, then it became a comparatively easy matter to prescribe remedies. 
The first remedy is to keep the hog in as good clean quarters as you can. 
Keep the hog from bedding in the lu)rse manure heap. Keep the hog from 
bedding under buildings, for under all buildings there is several hundred 
times as much carbonic acid gas, as there is twenty feet higher in the at- 
mosphere, and the same is true of ammonia. Keep the hog nested in as 
good a place as you can plan for him. Change his bed once per week. 
Strong soap-suds make a good bath for the hog, and he enjoys it; for it 
keeps his hide in the best condition. Now when in spite of all you can do 
he gets into a morbid condition the only remedy I know which will kill the 



42 

morbid plants on the tongue, throiit and stomach is charcoal. Charcoal 
])laced where the hogs can get it will soon be eaten, for the hog seems to 
be his own doctor. At least, if you put in his pen a thousand remedies 
for his coated tongue he probably will pass them all by; but you put a bar- 
rel of charcoal in a pen where sevei'al hogs are fattening and chop a hole 
in the bottom of the barrel so that the hog can get at it and in time it will 
all be eaten. In damp days they will eat more than they will in bright 
days. Therefore I believe that hogs should have this simple remedy at 
their command at all times. I have prescribed this remedy in several se- 
vere cases with the best results. 

One farmer in Missouri fed over one thousand hogs with charcoal at 
their command at all times, and reports that he never lost a hog from the 
above diseases. This farmer said he had such confidence in charcoal and all 
other health conditions, that he bought all diseased hogs in reach of his 
farm and had the satisfaction of curing all cases if the disease had not 
reached that stage where the hog ceased to eat. I also noticed a lot of 
hogs feeding in a corn-field in Missouri where logs and trees had been 
burned. The hogs had eaten up all the charcoal they could find on the 
surface of the ground and at the time I saw them they had reached up on 
several charred trees and had removed the charcoal from them. I saw the 
owner of the hogs and made inquiry into the matter and asked many ques- 
tions. I found the hogs ate corn, drank water and rustled for their own 
nest. I found that this man had the best of results, feeding his corn in 
this natural way, called I believe "hogging it." I conclude then that the 
American hog is a dandy and knows more about himself than all the mas- 
ters of medicine in our nation. If the American farmer had studied the 
primitive hog, and his primitive habits and his primitive health, he would 
have put his hogs in similar conditions, and the hog cholera would be un- 
known. But the farmer never studies, as a rule he is very much opposed 
to original thought. At least I have never heard of an American farmer 
killing himself by hard study. I have not space here to discuss the ques- 
tion thoroughly. But go back to the early settlement of this country and 
inquire as I have and you will find that the wild hog has always eaten all 
the charcoal which his superior knowledge dictated. This primitive hog 
has always eaten the blackberry roots and has considered them as first- 
class blood medicine. This primitive hog has always eaten the sweet bi'iar 
and many other I'oots for the same purpose. I do not know enough to dis- 
pute his majesty, his education or his practice. 

Yea! I learn only when he is my teacher. All will readily agree that 
the hog is led by instinct to the proper remedies he should have to cure 
his diseases. In conclusion then, all the farmer has to do is to give the 
hog room, give the hog a shady pasture in the summer time, give him an 
abundance of fattening food, give him pure cold water to drink, give him a 
clay mud hole to wallow in, in the warm seasons of the year. Go down to 
his hog paradise and observe how he eats, and how he drinks and how he 
wallows, and how he rubs against the trees and by friction he keeps his 



■i2 

hide in first class trim. Tako a jtjood look at Ins hide and notic-e that he 
never sweats and in this respect he is like the elephant and rhinoceros. He 
has no pores in his skin, which explains why he never sweats. Notice he 
has two very large gas pores at each heel, or just under his upper pair of 
hoofs. These large pores are here to let out the poisonous gases. The hu- 
man body has millions of pores. The hog has but eight large pores. The 
human body should live about lOU years. The hog in the best conditions 
ought to live until he is 2U j'ears old. 

The hog is easily cared for when you learn his nature. It is ten times 
easier to keep the whole number of hogs on the farm in good health than 
it is to cure one, when blood poison has about consumed the vital forces. 
When hogs are dying with what the farmer calls hog cholera, they are dy- 
ing because the blood and whole system are so full of microbes that to un- 
dertake to cure a hog in this condition is foolishness. In fact in the last 
stages a cure cannot be effected. The only practical way is to so care for 
the hog that he never will need to be doctored for hog cholera. Charcoal 
will kill the plant germ growing on the tongue, throat and stomach. If it 
will what is the use of waiting until the hog is about to die and then pay a 
dollar per box for cholera medicine, and lose all diseased ones just the 
same ? 

Pay out your money for charcoal and keep the hog healthy or pay for 
health instead of paying for disease. 1 have not space here to treat of 
breeds and discuss how to grow and care for the hog. If m}'^ labors in pub- 
lishing this little work are appreciated then a complete work on the Amer- 
ican Hog will be forthcoming. I have the manuscript partly prepared. 



Miscellaneous Subjects Continued. 



SECTION XIII. 

79th. Since I commenced preparing this little work on the soil I have 
been asked to say something on the subject of irrigation; I will now do so. 
There are some farmers who think that the general government or the state 
or some great monopoly will finally bring water in great quantities for the 
purpose of irrigating his farm. Some are so sanguine that they seem to 
think that the water and some system will soon arrive and all he will have 
to do will be to patiently wait. Now I will cause all reasonable minds to 
see that a general system of irrigation for Kansas is an impossibility. The 
rainfall all over our state is about thirty inches. Now one-half of this is 
needed to saturate the earth before planting time arrives in the spring. 
For irrigating purposes only fifteen inches can be horded up if we estimate 
what falls on our state. Fifteen inches all caught and returned to the 
ground would not be enough for irrigation purposes. For it would re- 



44 

quire at the least calculation four feet of water to take an acre of land 
through a long dry summer in Kansas. It would require on an average at 
least three feet of water for all crops to be properly irrigated in this part 
of the country on account of the intense radiating influence of the sun's 
rays. It might be thought by some that the water shed from the state of 
Colorado would furnish the balance of water needed. But here remember 
that Colorado is making arrangements to stop every square yai'd of water 
she can and irrigate her own lands. This is right and proper, for her val- 
leys are rich in all other elements; all she needs is the water supply. Her 
valleys are laid out in such shape that they can be irrigated with great ad- 
vantage. About four tiers of counties in the western part of the state 
will in time be irrigated. Then there will be incidental irrigation from 
subterranean water. 

But a universal system cannot be practiced. The water is not here. 
We might remark here that the sooner you lose your faith in the modern 
rain-maker the less disappointed you will be in the long run. If the God of 
nature has so fixed the laws of nature that the wind has to blow at least 
seventy-two hours from the Gulf of Mexico to give the Mississippi valley 
states a general rainfall then all lesser characters had better shut up shop. 
If the rainmakers could command oceanic currents, command the forces of 
the Rocky mountains and could command the laws and nature of electrical 
currents as they arise from and return to the earth, then we could listen a 
moment to their logic. This they cannot do. so dismiss them from your 
mind. Give them a wide berth. 

But suppose they can in some cases cause the moisture to change pla- 
ces and come from the atmosphere and return to the earth. How do we 
know but that the moisture in the atmosphere is much more beneficial 
ihere than to have it precipitated on the earth where it soon evaporates 
and returns to the atmosphere. Frequently where the rain-maker is a 
success his meager showers are a curse and a mockery, and not a blessing. 
Many a small shower in Kansas only increases the damages of the drought, 
for the sun's rays are so intense that the light shower scalds vegetation. 

Read thoroughly on the grove and pond question in this work and 
depend on nature by her general laws to do the rest. Simply fall in with 
the facts in the case and help nature solve the problem. If we had the wa- 
ter and Kansas had about twenty times as many people then a system of 
universal irrigation would be just the thing. But we have not the labor or 
even a demand for more crops as a food supply, for there is a practical 
chronic over-production on now, because a large per cent of our people 
have not the ability to pay for what they could eat. The world has been 
blamed more by individual effort than in an}' other way. As individual 
farmers then let us give our own farms the heroic treatment suggested in 
this woi'k and not depend on the general government to help us; no, not 
for one cent. Let us depend on self and not on the state. Let us be our 
own farming engineers, and not be the slaves of some irrigation monopoly 
or pay an extra state tax to support some great scientific philosopher who 



45 

makes it rain much more in the regions of his own idealty than on the 
parched farms of Kansas. Let us fill the sub-soil with ve^'etable roots and 
rootlets; let us ventilate our hard sub-soils with the sub-soil plow, in con- 
clusion let us be heroes and not slaves. Let us master the situation, im- 
prove our own farms by our own energies and common sense. Remember 
that common natural sense is as uncommon in the scientific agricultural 
world as it is uncommon in politics and religion. What little natural com- 
mon sense the young American has left, let us make the most of it. 



Miscellaneous Subjects Continued. 



The Fertilizing Gases of the Atmo- 
sphere. 

SECTION XIV. 

80th. Carbonic Acid Gas and Ammonia. — These gases are nature's 
great resources for fertility. While carbonic acid gas and ammonia can- 
not be seen at all times by the naked eye, nevertheless they are doing 
more to keep the surface of the earth in a fertile condition than all other 
natural and artificial means. Carbonic acid (C 02) is always present in the 
atmosphere. Its average quantity is 4 parts in every 10,000 parts of the 
atmosphere. But it is in much greater quantities down next to the earth 
than it is above the face of the earth. No doubt you have observed in a 
damp day smoke from the house chimney go down to the ground, blow 
along some distance and finally disappear on the surface of the ground. 
Now the smoke is carbonic acid and that is a fair description of how it be- 
haves in the atmosphere. Carbonic acid seems to unite with the elements 
or atoms of water and form surface soil compounds. Carbonic acid settles 
readily in water and forms black muck at the bottom of all swamps. Car- 
bonic acid is in all exposed waters in as great a quantity as the water it- 
self. Carbonic acid helps all vegetable fiber to decompose when the same 
is moist with water. Carbonic acid is entering under all vegetable matter 
lying on the surface of the earth. Carbonic acid always creeps under the 
ground rail of the fence row, and under every log; and on account of car- 
bonic acid and the other gases the lower rail of all fences I'ot from the bot- 
tom up and not from the top down. All logs or wood of any kind always 
rot from the bottom upward and not from the top down. The farmer's 
fence post rots in the first two inches of the surface soil on account of car- 



46 

bonic acid gas together with the other gases of air and water. All the fat 
on all cattle, sheep and hogs which is shipped to the city and eaten by the 
human family is thrown off from the human lungs in the form of carbonic 
acid gas. Then this vast annual quantity floats annually in the atmosphere 
and is as evenly distributed over land and sea as the currents of the earth 
are universal in their general action. 

Every pound of flesh going to the city retmnis to the farm. Now this 
fact is worth millions to the western farmer, if I can get him to cultivate 
the plants which I call "soil creators;" for they have the power to gather 
carbonic acid direct from the atmosphere in much greater proportions 
than the soil destroyer. Now the farmer who buys this book and plants a 
crop of Soil Producers can have the satisfaction that he is gathering by 
this means one of nature's great fertilizers from the atmosphere and in do- 
ing this he is logically returning the flesh or fat element whicK has been 
shipped to the city, back to his farm. Now what is there to hinder any 
man from carbonizing his farm after he understands this valuable informa- 
tion ? The only scientific reason in this world why clover is a benefit to 
the soil is the fact that they gather carbonic acid gas and ammonia from 
the atmosphere. Just think how soon all farm opei'ations would stop if it 
was not for this great fact that every pound of flesh and muscle which goes 
oft" from the farm to the city returns to the country in the form of manuri- 
al gases. 

Now, the intelligent farmer can set his organic chemical traps to catch 
billions of atoms of fine attenuated carbonic acid every hour during the 
growing season. Nature is much more perfect than the unlearned sup- 
pose; for the more we know about nature's laws, the more perfection we 
see in her complicated workings. Now let me illustrate how carbonic 
acid gas goes its rounds in the conservation of nature's forces. For in- 
stance take the starch eaten annually by the human family in the form of 
white flour. This white flour is carbon in the form of starch. It is taken 
into the stomach and transformed into glucose by the action of the acids 
and alkalies. Now in the form of liquid sugar it is burned in the blood by 
coming in contact with the oxygen in the air cells of the lungs. Then car- 
bonic acid gas is thrown off from the lungs as heat is set free and absorbed 
by the system. Now this carbonic acid gas from all human lungs for one 
year is so great that no mathematician can estimate it, for the number of 
the human family is not known. But this vast quantity of gas is taken up 
next season by the growing crops and in this way only can starch be pro- 
vided again for the human family. God has prepared this world for us, 
not only in good shape but the only shape pi'obably if we knew all the facts 
in the case. Now, it is a fact that carbonates or carbon elements in the 
soil are always placed there by the chemical action of carbonic acid in its 
relation to lime and other minerals of the soil, and its relation to the min- 
eral elements of all vegetable bodies in the pi'ocess of decomposition. It 
is also a fact that all the nitrates of potash and the nitrates of soda are 
placed in the soil by the chemical action of ammonia from the atmosphere. 



47 

It is also a fact that where ever a soil producing crop is plowed under the 
combined forces of carbonic acid and ammonia are exerted and both car- 
bonates and nitrates are formed in the soil and it is a fact that when both 
of the above formations take place nature is manufacturing a perfect sur- 
face soil with all the elements present. 

Be sure and pi-actice the above plans and make your farms rich in the 
elements corresponding to flesh and muscle. 

81st. Lathyrus Silvestris Wagneri — Flat Pea. — This plant has been 
experimented with in Germany and France for a number of years, and is a 
pronounced success. It belongs to the Vetches or Tares, and is described 
as an everlasting pea. One of the agricultural papers in Germany de" 
scribes it as follows: 

"This plant," it says, "has all the valuable traits of red clover or lou- 
cerne, without showing any of its defects (such as causing bloating in cat- 
tle when fed green carelessly, or the heaves in horses when hay is given 
dusty), and surpasses them in every valuable essential of a fodder plant. 
It will endure at least sixty or seventy years on the same spot without ne- 
cessitating a new seeding. It grows on any soil free from stagnate water. 
Where no other forige plant will live it flourishes with undiminished vigor 
and exuberance, scarcely needing rain after it is once well established the 
second year. After that time it needs no further care except mowing and 
gathering. 

"It produces heavy crops, averaging about 200 quintals to the hectare 
(four tons per acre) of cured hay. Its nutritive qualities twice exceed 
those of red clover or alfalfa, weight for weight; careful invest'gations 
made at several experimental stations, showing that the two latter plants 
contain only 10 or 12 per cent of protein or albumen, while this improved 
lathyrus, or everlasting pea contains from 21 to 30 per cent of these valu- 
able nutritive substances. 

"Cattle, as well as horses and hogs,. eat it with avidity. The yield of 
milk from cows fed with it averages about 25 per cent more than when fed 
with any other fodder, and the quantity of cream from the same amount 
of milk is nearly doubled. The use of it as a hay provender is also said to 
afford a preventive or cure against murrain or spleen diseases." 

Two years' experiments by O. Clute and F. B. Mumford, at the Michi- 
gan station, with the new fodder plant, Lathyrus Silvestris, or Flat Pea, 
prove that it gei'minates and reaches the surface in from seventeen to 
twenty-eight days. It grows slowly at first, and needs care to keep the 
weeds down. It makes on very poor, unimproved sandy soil, a top growth 
of 6 to 8 inches, and a root growth of from 12 to 15 inches, the first year. 
It makes, on sandy soil that has been cultivated and improved, a top 
growth of from 12 to 15 inches, and a root growth of from 18 inches to two 
feet, during the first year. Only a severe frost will kill the tops. The 
roots stand the winter well. Tub(M'cles form abundantly upon the roots. 
One-year-old plants, transplanted in the spring to sandy soil, yield over 
half a toTi of green forage per acre. It has not bloomed the first year, and 



48 

but very slightly the second. Cattle eat the green forage readily. The flat 
pea promises well for the sandy soils near the great lakes, where a pei'ennial 
forage plant is needed, that will not be killed by severe frosts or by pro- 
tracted droughts that will yield good forage for all farm stock, and at the 
same time has valuable qualities as a fertilizer. 

Directions for planting the seed are given as follows: 

Sow in April or May on well prepared ground in drills about one to 
two feet apart, seeds about two to three inches deep, about two inches 
apart in the drills and cover well; keep well cleaned from weeds after- 
wards. The plants can be transplanted either in spring or fall on any kind 
of soil, even on rocky ground, but not on wet lands. 

To give our customers an opportunity to try this new plant we have 
imported a limited quantity of the seed from Germany, and will furnish as 
long as supply may last. Per pkt. 10c, oz. 30c, 1-4 lb., $1; 1 lb., $3. 

82nd. Soja Beans. — These beans resemble the Cowpeas, and have 
been experimented with at the Agricultural College at Manhattan, which 
gives the following results: 

Growth vigorous throughout the season, from the time the plants first 
appeared above ground until they were killed by frost. The plants grow 
erect, averaging 4 1-2 feet in height. The stock is strong and woody, and 
has numerous branches covered with heivy foliage. The branches and up- 
per part of the main stem are thickly studded with clusters of pods — from 
two to five pods growing in a cluster, each pod containing two beans. The 
plants were killed by frost before the bean had matured. This plant has 
many valuable qualities, and deserves further trial. The bean should be 
sown a half bushel per aci'e broadcast, or planted in drills three and a half 
feet apart, and one and one- half feet between the plants, dropping two or 
three in each hill, which will require one gallon per acre. Lb. by mail 20c, 
1-4 bu., $1.25; 1 bu., $4. I desire all farmers who can invest a little money 
to try on Kansas soil the above plants. Address 

F. Barteldes & Co., Lawrence, Kansas. 

83rd. "Bromus Inermis," the great forage grass of Russia, the only 
grass for the arid regions of the south and west. — The finest fodder grass 
for stock, excelling in nutritiousness and productiveness the well-known 
Alfalfa, and succeeds in drought-stricken districts where all other grasses 
fail. In many sections of this country such a grass has long been sought 
after, not alone by pi'ivate individuals, but by the department of agricul- 
ture at Washington, D. C, which has been experimenting with this won- 
derful variety at its experimental stations in the arid regions. Following 
we publish a letter from the Experime^ntal Grass Station at Garden City, 
Kansas: 

Experimental Grass Station, Garden City, Kansas, says: "We have 
grown 'Bromus Inermis' successfully, and think it is to be the coming 
grass for the arid regions of the West. Sow it about the first of April,- 
and about twenty-five pounds per acre." 



49 

This grass is cei'tainly the greatest boom to the arid districts ever dis- 
covered; not only is it the grass for dry sections, but it can be raised on 
almost all kinds of soil, and in any climate. It being a native of Russia, 
makes it particularly desirable for our Northwest; and it is adapted to 
such states as Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, and in fact all that are 
subject to drought. Description — It originated in Russia, and is recom- 
mended on account of the manner in which it has stood on the Hungary 
plains, where the dry, sterile nature of the country and the long-continued 
droughts make so many plants succumb. This Bromus, however, stands 
well, and has been known for thirty years to stand when such robust crops 
as Lucei-ne have been destroyed. It gives a luxuriant crop, particularly 
on fresh sandy loam soil, and where the climate is warm. It is found that 
animals eat it greedily, whether in the green or in the dry state, so that it 
can be used as mown or saved for winter use. The seed is sown in the 
early spring. It is also useful in filling up gaps where Lucerne or Clover 
crops have failed. It will stand under favorable conditions for twelve 
years, and give as much food in one month as Lucerne gives in three 
months. Price 50 cents per pound postpaid. By express or freight, in 
25 pound lots. $10 (sufficient to sow one acre). Address 

L. L. May & Co., St. Paul, Minn. 



Glossary or Definitions of the 

Chennieal Ternns Used in 
this Work. 

SECTIOX XV. 

84th. Oxygen. — That elementary gaseous body which gives to air its 
power of supporting respiration and combustion, and which, b}'^ its union 
with hydrogen forms water. Its chemical affinities for other elementary 
substances are very powerful; with most of them it is found in combina- 
tion, or may be made to combine, in more than one propoition; with sev- 
eral in 4, 5 or 6 proportions; and there is only one element, (fluorine) with 
which it does not enter into any combination. 

Owing to the intensity with which many of these combinations take 
place this gas has the power of supporting combustion in an eminent de- 
gree. Of all known substances it exerts the smallest refracting power on 
the rays of light. It possesses weak but decided magnetic properties, like 
those of iron, and like this substance, its susceptibility to magnetization 
is diminished or even suspended by a certain elevation of temperature. It 
is only slightly soluble in water; 100 cubic inches of that liquid dissolving 
4.11 cubic inches of gas at 32 degrees, and only 2.99 inches at 59 degrees. 



50 

Oxygen gas is not only respirable, but is essential to the support of 
animal life; hence it was termed vital air by some of the older chemists. 
Oxygen is the most abundant and most widely distributed of all the ele- 
ments. In its free state (mixed but not combined' with nitrogen,) it con- 
stitutes about a fifth of the bulk and considerably more than a fifth of the 
weight of the atmosi^here. In combination with hydrogen it forms eight- 
ninths of all the water on the globe; and in combination with silicon, cal- 
cium, aluminum, etc., it enters largely into all the solid constituents of 
the earth's crust; silica in its various forms of sand, common quartz, flint, 
etc., — chalk, limestone and marble — and all varieties of clay containing 
about half their weight of oxygen. It is, moreover, found in the tissues 
and fluids of all forms of animal and vegetable life, none of which can sup- 
port existence independently of this element. 

85th. Hydrogen. — An elementary substance which exists as a color- 
less and inodoi'ous gas. Hydrogen exists for the most part in combination 
with oxygen, as water. One of its most striking peculiarities is its spe- 
cific gravity, it being the lightest of all known bodies. Its refractive pow- 
er is greater than that of any other gas and is more than six times as great 
as that of atmospheric air. Hydrogen is combustible; it is capable of com- 
bining with oxygen and developing light and heat. Hydrogen then read- 
ily combines with oxygen, fluorine and chlorine. 

Hydrogen and chlorine mixed together, and exposed to direct sunlight 
combine with explosion; in diffused daylight they gradually unite, but in 
the dark do not act on one another. The fact that oxygen will unite with 
so many other agricultural elements in the light and under a high tempei^- 
ature, explains why plants and trees and animals grow and mature in the 
light and do not develop in the dark. 

86th. Carbon. — This is one of the most important elements in the 
natural economy. It occurs uncombined in the mineral graphite or black- 
lead, and also in the diamond which is pure crystalized carbon. The im- 
portance of carbon in the foi'm of carbonic acid in the surface soil is in its 
tendency to unite with lime and form with oxygen the carbonate of lime, 
the carbonate of soda, carbonate of potassa, &c. These combinations of 
carbon furnish the more substantial elements of all vegetable and aiiimal 
structure. 

The starch of all the cereals is carbon in that form. The fat of all 
animals is carbon in the foi-m of fat. Now when starch is decomposed or 
when fat is decomposed heat is thrown off and a gas arises wltich we call 
carbonic acid gas. This gas is taken again into the cereal kingdom and 
transformed into starch and all of the units of heat lost in the process of 
decomiDOsition are regained and incorporated again in the vegetable kinj. - 
dom. Therefore nature is perfect, while there is a continual change of al 
the organic elements going on at all times; there is no loss of atoms or 
energy. 

87th. Nitrogen, — It is a colorless, tasteless, inodorous gas, which in 
appearance in no way differs from atmospheric air, of which it is the main 



51 

ingredient. It is characterized rather by negative than by positive prop- 
erties. It is not combustible, nor Ms it a supporter of combustion. Its 
combining powers are very slight. Its agricultural value is contained in 
the fact that it unites with oxygen, hydi'ogen, chlorine and many other 
substances; the union is effected rarely by direct action on one another 
but only by the complicated workings of the elements of the natural econ- 
omy. Many of the nitrogen compounds are vei'y unstable. Nitrogen 
passes into the lungs with oxygen, then it returns immediately to the at- 
mosphere associated on its return with carbonic acid gas. Now it seems 
that nitrogen does not combine with carbonic acid gas; but it does associ- 
ate with this gas, while it does not combine. Nitrogen associated with 
carbonic acid gas does enter into the composition of all pod gi'owing plants 
called soil creators in this work. What a wonderful phenomena to observe 
the fact that nitrogen associated with carbonic acid gas comes out of the 
animal lungs, while oxygen enters the animal's lungs and nitrogen associ- 
ated with carbonic acid goes into all soil creating crops while oxygen es- 
capes from every pore and passes into the air in a pure state. 

''Nitrogen is absolutely essential to plant life and growth. It forms 
one of the principal and most costly elements of commercial fertilizers, 
and in soils long under cultivation is very likely to be deficient in quantity. 
Concerning the sources whence it is obtained by certain plants there has 
been much m3'stery. Experience has proved that the growth and yield of 
wheat and other cereals which contain only a moderate quantity of nitro- 
gen are greatly increased by the use of nitrogenous manures, while clover^ 
ulfal'a and other leguminous crops, though using lai'ge quantities of nitro- 
gen, do not show such marked benefit from the application of these fertiliz- 
ers and thrive with the application of less than the cereals require. It has 
been conclusively shown also that though leguminous crops remove consid- 
erable quantities of nitrogen from the land they leave the surface soil rich- 
er in that element than it was before they were produced. Only two sour-^ 
ces of this surplus nitrogen are possible — the sub-soil and the atmosphere. 
For a long period many farmers have claimed that both these sources were 
drawn upon, while scientists have declared that the nitrogen not furnished 
by the rainfall or by fertilizers, or not already existing in the soil must 
come only from the sub-soil. During several years past Prof. Hellriegel 
of Germany has been conducting a series of elaborate experiments which 
soem to make it absolutely certain that leguminous crops obtain much of 
their nitrogen from the air. Sir J. B. Lawes, who long opposed the theory 
that plants could use free niti'ogen, has repeated the tests at his famous 
experimental estate, Rothamsted, England, with results as far as secured, 
corroborating those obtained by th(^ German chemist. It is supposed that 
the nitrogen is made available for the use of crops largely through the ac- 
tion of microbes." 

The old world chemists arc mistaken about the habits of the niter mi- 
crobe as far as my own observations go. I believe that all the albumenoids 
and nitrogenous elements of vegetnlile and animal substances are trans- 



52 

formed from these organic elements into the corresponding elements of ni" 
trate of potassium and nitrate of sodium as soil elements by the agency of 
the Niter Microbe. I believe that all the soil creator's described in this 
work get their nitrogen direct from the atmosphere, from the nitrogen 
proper and from ammonia. I believe also that the Niter Microbe can be 
found by the billions in all niter caves of the earth, and the only way we 
understand that this little animal gets nitrogen is from the free nitrogen 
of the atmosphere combined with ammonia which also freely circulates in 
the atmosphere. 

88th. Lime. — This mineral substance has been used for centuries as a 
means of increasing the fertility of land. All crops require a certain 
amount, as is found by analyzing the ash which remains after combustion. 
This element can be supplied to farm land in the form of marl and chalk 
wherever they are found near enough to be handled by the farm team. 
About three to eight tons per acre of slacked lime is enough, placing three 
tons on light lands and eight tons on the richest alluvial. Remember that 
all soil creators throw out acids and decompose lime rock and place in the 
soil carbonate of lime as well as all other necessary elements. Remember 
that carbonate of lime in the soil attracts as much water and carbonic acid 
gas as its own weight, and aids in this way to control three gases, namely 
— oxygen, hydrogen and carbonic acid. 

89th. Phosphorus. — An elementary substance of wax-like consistence 
easily made to burn even by the heat of the fingers or by friction. Phos- 
phorus has a coi'responding acid called phosphoric acid, this is a union 
of phosphorus and oxygen. This acid has much to do with operations on the 
farm, for this element is essential to plant and animal life. Phosphoric acid is 
about three parts of all the cereals, it is about four parts of the animal system. 
Therefore we would expect it to constitute a corresponding part of the soil. 
It is returned to the soil in the form of bone meal, wood ashes, fish refuse, 
phosphate rock, guano, etc. Phosphorus combines with oxygen and gives 
us phosphoric acid. Phosphorus combines with soda and gives us a phos- 
phate of soda. Phosphorus combines with lime and gives us phosphate of 
lime. It also combines with hydrogen gas of water. Phosphorus should 
be present in all soils for it is one of the parts of plants and a part of all 
animals. Phosphorous occurs in combination with potassium and is called 
phosphate of potassa or potash. Phosphate of lime is the greatest ingre- 
dient of bones, being about 57 per cent. There is also the basic phosphate 
of magnesia, which is composed of three parts of magnesia; one part of 
oxygen, two parts phosphorus and five parts oxygen again is added. This 
is sufficient to suggest the value of phosphorus in relation to the "Science 
and Art of Farming." But to make sure that you have it in all your fields 
plant soil creators and plow the same under as advised. Phosphorus, ox- 
ygen and iron together with electricity are the elements of life in the soil. 
in the plant and in the animal body; and finally even life to the human 
body and physical life to the human mind or without these four elements 
life would become extinct in less than one minute of time. There is such a 



53 

thing as placincr the conditions of life, in the soil. 

90th. Chlorine and Sodium. — Combine as common salt. This combi- 
nation is in the blood of all animals and in the structure of all plants not 
as common salt, but both of these elements are combined with other ele- 
ments in the structure of plants. These elements are present in all fer- 
tile soil. 

91st. Ammonia. — Is an agricultural gas or a gas which unites with 
the mineral element potassium and foi'ms the nitrate of potash. Ammonia 
is not a separate element, it is composed of one atom of water, one atom of 
nitrogen, four atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. 

92nd. Sulphur. — This element is second only to oxygen in its affinity 
for other elements. Wherever oxygen unites with a mineral and forms an 
oxide, sulphur and oxygen will also unite and form a sulphide. This ele- 
ment is present in all growing crops. When crops are plowed under in a 
green state the sulphates are formed in abundance. 

93rd. Ammonia — Is a volatile alkali. It derives its name ammonia 
from being obtained from salammoniac. The atmosphere contains a mi- 
nute quantity of ammonia, amounting to 210 parts in 10,000,000,000 parts 
of air. This is equal to one volume of ammonia in 28.000,000 volumes of 
air It is present in every drop of rain water. While the above figures 
I'epresent all the science of chemistry can do in estimating the amount in 
the atmosphere it is a fact probably that chemistry never can obtain a cor. 
rect statement of the proper amount of this element in the atmosphere. It 
hastens to the earth in every rain shower. It is a very valuable element . 
It is the muscular element in the animal'kingdom, it is the albuminous and 
nitrogenous element in the vegetable kingdom; then again where these ele- 
ments have decomposed they throw off the gas which we name — Ammonia. 

Remember when the farmer plants any of the Soil«Creators and plows 
the same under he is fertilizing his ground with this precious the element as 
fast as he can run the plow, when the time for plowing has arrived. 

94th. Magnesia — Is the only oxide of metal magnesium. Magnesia 
enters into the structure of all growing crops. It attracts and hordes wa- 
ter and also attracts carbonic acid from the atmosphere, and with the car- 
bonates of lime forms an important work in the growth and composition of 
plant life. 

95th. Iron — Is so well known that it is useless to speuk of the miner- 
al element here. There are but few farmers who know much of the value 
of the combination of oxygen and iron and hydrogen and iron. Oxygen 
has a powerful affinity for iron and all the red and yellow clay soils are ow- 
ing to this power and affinity. All the color of plants is owiny to the re- 
lation of oxygen and iron to all the other complicated combinations in the 
structm-e of plants; therefoi-e plow all crops under in a green state. 

96th. Silicon — Is common sand and seems to be such a hard substance 
that it cannot be decomposed and utilized by the growing crops; but this 
is a great mistake. Sand is essential to all perfect soils and under the 
higher temperature of spring and summer the oxygen element of the at- 



54 

mosphere and the hydrogen element of water act upon sand and decompose 
this mineral slowly but surely and it passes into the structure of all farm 
crops. It is the outer gloss on all wheat, corn, rye, barley and oat straw. 
It is the varnished surface of all grains. It is the gloss on the hair of all 
animals. It is the outer varnish of the finger nails and toe nails of all ani- 
mals. It is a part of the enamel of the teeth also. Therefore it is one of 
the valuable agricultural elements. 

Now, all the above elements enter into a perfect surface soil and be- 
come the base of a perfect food supply. Then this food supply fed to the 
animal kingdom and to the human family passes as six gases into the at- 
mosphere and into water and are returned to the general surface of the 
country. Then the eight minerals as ash are left in great quantities where 
animals and man live and die in great numbers or in our great consuming 
cities. There will soon be a perfect sewerage system in all of our great 
•cities and all the solid and liquid offals will be floated and mixed with an 
abundance of water, and in this way will be used as a means of irrigation 
as well as perfect fertility. There will be large farms near all great cities 
treated this way, and market gardens when properly summer fallowed will 
the next season yield up their vegetable growth and grandeur, which will 
astonish as well as please the admiration of mankind. 



55 



Chronological Index. 



PAGE 

Introductory, - - - - - - - 1 to 3 

Origin and Formation of Soils, ..... 3 

Changes of Temperature, . . . . . .4, 

Moving Water, ...---. 4 

Weathering Action of Water and Air, .... 5 

Action of Plant Life, - - - - - - - 6 

Classification of Soils, - - - - - - 9 to 12 

Relation of Soils to Crops, ...... 12 

Woi'n out Soils, ....... 14-15 

How to Improve the Surface Soil, - - - - 16 to 24 

Surface Soil Destroyers, - - - - - 25 to 32 

Water Precipitation on the Western Farm, - - - 32 to 34 

The Foundation Principles of the Science and Art of Farming, 34-35 

The Human Body Analyzed, - - - - - - 35 

Feeding Value of Cereals and Other Crops by Chemical Analysis, 37 to 40 
The American Hog, - - - - - - 40 to 41 

Irrigation, - - - - - - - - 43 to 44 

The Fertilizing Gases of the Atmosphere, - - - 45 to 46 

Flat Pea. ........ 47 

Soja Beans, ........ 48 

Bromus Inermis, - .... . . 48 

Glossary or Definitions of the Chemical Terms Used in this Work, 49 to 54 



i'ccras z'^ vocnrrTLenaav.cn.. 

Hackberrv Township, Dec. 18tii, 1894. 

In consideration of our appreciation of the very interesting and valu- 
able lecture delivered at the Bishop .school house last evening by J. W. 
Damon of Chetopa, Labette county, Kansas, on The Science and Art of 
I'arming, a unanimous vote of thanks was bestowed upon the Professor 
and a committee was appointed which passed the following resolutions: 

1st. Resolved, That our experience and observation confirm his illus- 
trated lecture on the origin, composition, exhaustion and improvement of 
the surface soil. 

2nd. Resolved, That he treated of the complicated working of the ele- 
ments and laws of nature in such a plain manner that the lecture was not 
only appreciated but understood by every farmer present. 

E. W. Hopkins, Chairman of Committee. 



Rev. J. W. Damon of Chetopa was in the city Tuesday on his way 
from Labette where, on last Monday night, he delivered one of his inimi- 
table lectures on agriculture. Every farmer in Labette county should 
hear this lecture, as it is money in their pocket. — Labette County Times- 
Statesman, Dec. 6, 1894. 



f 



